'Reckless' cyclists illegally using Sydney tunnels
An increase in cyclists illegally using motorways and tunnels has prompted warnings from traffic authorities.
More than 120 cyclists rode through Sydney tunnels and motorways between January and July this year, in comparison to 43 during the same period last year.
The Eastern Distributor had the highest number of offenders.
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An increase in cyclists illegally using motorways and tunnels has prompted warnings from traffic authorities. More than 120 cyclists rode through Sydney tunnels and motorways between January and July this year, in comparison to 43 during the same period last year. Supplied
"This is really dangerous behaviour. It's reckless on two wheels," Roads Minister Jo Haylen said.
Global transport company Transurban monitors Sydney motorways through hundreds of CCTV cameras, catching these incidents often.
In one clip shared with 9News, a cyclist can be seen attempting to cross three lanes of traffic on a push bike inside the M8 tunnel.
In another, a food delivery driver can be seen riding along the shoulder of the road as cars fly past him.
"I can't answer for the increase but what I can say is one incident is one too many," Transburban's head of operations Adam Lloyd said
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An increase in cyclists illegally using motorways and tunnels has prompted warnings from traffic authorities. More than 120 cyclists rode through Sydney tunnels and motorways between January and July this year, in comparison to 43 during the same period last year. Supplied
Cyclists using a maps app could be led astray if they don't have the travelling by bike option enabled.
Riders shouldn't panic if they accidentally end up inside a tunnel, as incident response teams are sent out immediately after a bike is detected on a motorway, Lloyd said.
"If you are on your bike and you are approaching a motorway stop, find a safe place. Our team will be en route to help you."
Cyclists can be hit with a $2200 fine for riding through a tunnel.
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