“This does not constitute your daily exercise,” police tell cyclist stopped on M60

A cyclist caught riding on the M60 was told by police, “This does not constitute your daily exercise.”

The rider is set to be fined after being stopped by officers yesterday close to junction 3 near Cheadle in Cheshire.

> Daily exercise rules: current cycling dos and don'ts

Bicycles are banned from the UK’s motorways, but apparently the man “couldn’t understand what the issue was,” North West Motorway Police said in a tweet.

Patrol @gmptraffic just stopped a cyclist on the M60 near to jct 3, Tried to advise but cyclist couldn't understand what the issue was, Has been issued with relevant paperwork and fine will be in the post, This does not constitute your daily exercise #unbelievable

— North West Motorway Police (@NWmwaypolice) March 29, 2020

Highway Code rule 253 states:

Prohibited vehicles. Motorways MUST NOT be used by pedestrians, holders of provisional motorcycle or car licences, riders of motorcycles under 50 cc, cyclists, horse riders, certain slow-moving vehicles and those carrying oversized loads (except by special permission), agricultural vehicles, and powered wheelchairs/powered mobility scooters.

We’ve regularly reported here on road.cc about cyclists who, unwittingly or on purpose, end up on motorways, including the M60.

> Warning that cycling could be banned if people don’t ride responsibly 

In November 2017, a delivery driver spoke of his shock at seeing a man pedalling his bike along the motorway close to the Trafford Centre.

“He looked like he was just going about his daily business,” the driver said.

> Updated: How to cycle responsibly in a time of pandemic

And in March 2014, a cyclist was spotted on CCTV by a supervisor at the North West Motorway Police riding on the massive Barton Bridge, which carries the M60 over the Manchester Ship Canal.

The supervisor, Mike Duggan, said: “My advice to people would be to not ride a push bike over the Barton Bridge, and also that if your sat-nav is telling you to do something dangerous, don’t do it.”

> How much distance should you leave to the cyclist ahead in a time of pandemic?