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New South Wales police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged negligent driving following a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 individuals riding e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and rode through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," stated a senior police official David Driver on Wednesday.

Police said they did not immediately pursue the riders due to safety concerns but instead located the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

Later in the week, authorities announced they had served the US social media influencer known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer is said to have more than 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and more than 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator gave comments to a local publication recently following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was one of the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of the city. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a group ride, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on roads nationwide has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, the minister, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We must ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] police are granted the authority to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. But, in the initial half of the following year, that number jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.