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NSW police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation following a swarm of e-bike riders converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of around 40 people operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The riders subsequently reversed direction and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"There was potential for people to be injured and killed," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on Wednesday.

Police indicated they did not chase right away the riders out of concerns for public safety but rather found the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

On Saturday, police stated they had issued the American online personality who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and three demerit points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The personality is said to have over 3.4 million followers on YouTube and more than 1.2 million on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The content creator gave comments to a local publication recently following the event gained traction on news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was one of the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the rules and standards of the city. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, I am to blame we found ourselves on the bridge and I had a decision to make: whether the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we turn around, basically, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," the minister stated. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are granted the authority to take strong action, to take them away, to crush them, to destroy them."

The state reported 226 injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.