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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported reckless operation following a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 people riding e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"There was a risk of serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on Wednesday.

Law enforcement said they did not immediately pursue the riders due to safety concerns but instead located the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

Later in the week, police stated they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, 26, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of $562 and three demerit points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer is said to have more than 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The content creator gave comments to a major newspaper recently after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to abide by the rules and standards of the city. When I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, basically, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," he said. "We’ve got to ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] police are given the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported 226 injuries related to ebikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of the following year, that figure jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.