A CYCLIST who was left blind and brain-damaged after allegedly being knocked off his bike by a hit-and-run driver on Southern Cross Drive is seeking millions of dollars in damages from the Roads and Traffic Authority.

The legal team representing Peter Beileiter, of Lane Cove West, has told the Supreme Court that the section of the road south of Wentworth Avenue, where the accident occurred in February 2001, was unsuitable for bicycle traffic.

There was no designated cycle lane south of the junction, and the volume and speed of the traffic made it unsafe for cyclists to use the vehicle lanes.

Mr Beileiter's lawyers argued the RTA was negligent in failing to warn cyclists that the cycle lane in place north of Wentworth Avenue did not continue on the southern side of the off-ramp.

It is also alleged the RTA failed to prohibit cyclists from travelling further south on Southern Cross Drive.