Food couriers on bikes getting lost in tunnels and highways during deliveries.

In Sydney, food delivery cyclists are causing major traffic delays and putting their lives at risk by ending up on major motorways and inside tunnels. According to labor law experts, these riders are being pushed to their limits and forced into dangerous territory as a result of an unsafe system.

Alisa Hitchcock from Transurban spoke to 9News about the issue, stating that they have been seeing cyclists in the tunnels once a week, causing significant delays for the entire network. Video footage shows one delivery rider on the Eastern Distributor, dangerously close to oncoming traffic. Fortunately, the rider was followed by Transurban's Incident Response team and managed to escape the immediate danger.

In another incident, a delivery rider found themselves wedged against a wall inside the Cross City Tunnel, narrowly avoiding a potentially fatal collision with a truck and motorcycle. It's not just the riders who are at risk, as CCTV footage shows a car having to swerve to avoid hitting a delivery worker on a bike.

According to Professor Joellen Riley from the UTS Faculty of Law, many of these delivery riders are new migrants or backpackers with limited English language skills and knowledge of the local area. Additionally, they may be following directions on apps that lead them into tunnels, especially if they haven't switched to cyclist mode.

Alisa Hitchcock suggests that food delivery services should have their own platforms with pop-up notifications to remind cyclists to avoid tunnels. However, there are also other pressures on the riders, such as the need to complete deliveries quickly in order to earn a decent wage.

Unfortunately, eight delivery riders have died in crashes while on the job in New South Wales since 2020. But there is hope for reform, as the Fair Work Commission will soon have the power to set minimum standards for "gig economy" workers, including delivery riders. This is a step towards improving their wages and safety, but some experts are skeptical about the enforcement of these standards.

Both Uber Eats and DoorDash have stated that safety is a top priority for their delivery people. They have worked with Transurban to educate and raise awareness about the proper use of navigation systems, with an emphasis on using cyclist-specific apps to avoid motorways and tunnels. Additionally, DoorDash provides safety training for their delivery riders and encourages the use of bicycle directions on their in-app navigation system.

While these steps are positive, there is still work to be done to ensure the safety of food delivery cyclists in Sydney. It's important for all parties involved, including the government, delivery companies, and riders themselves, to work together to create a safer and more secure system for everyone.

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