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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 negligent driving following a large group of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of around 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"This had potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked a senior police official the officer on the following day.

Law enforcement indicated they did not immediately pursue the group out of concerns for public safety but rather found the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities announced they had issued the US social media influencer known as the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

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

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a local publication recently after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, saying he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to come here respecting the laws and norms of the city. When I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of electric bicycles on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, commented that illegal ebikes were a "total menace 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 truly severe," he said. "We’ve got to ensure we stop these things coming into the country [and] officers are granted the authority to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded 226 injuries related to ebikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of the following year, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.