TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A South African woman was ticketed last week for illegally riding a YouBike on a freeway during rush hour traffic in New Taipei City, which will incur fines between NT$3,000 (US$96) and NT$6,000.
At around 7 p.m. on June 27, a woman was spotted riding a YouBike at the 37-km mark of the Taishan Road section of National Freeway 1 in New Taipei City's Linkou District, reported Liberty Times. A video taken by a motorist shows the woman riding past cars on the shoulder of the freeway.
Motorists dialed 110 to notify the National Highway Police Bureau of the cyclist. When officers reached the woman, who was identified as a 24-year-old South African national working in Taiwan with the first name Susan, she had already ridden on the freeway for about three kilometers, reported ETtoday.
Woman seen overtaking vehicles on freeway shoulder. (PTT image)
The woman said she had entered the freeway by mistake and was unfamiliar with the traffic rules. She said that when she went to input her planned destination on her GPS, the app provided a car route, which led her onto the freeway.
Officers issued a citation for breaching Article 33, Section 4 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The Freeway Bureau assisted in taking the woman and her YouBike to the nearest local street in Linkou, provided her with directions, and then departed.
(PTT images)
South African woman seen last week illegally riding YouBike on National Freeway 1 during rush hour traffic in New Taipei City https://t.co/06baKyTZoE pic.twitter.com/4AeltoFdTi
— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNewsEN) July 5, 2023
