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New South Wales police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged negligent driving following a swarm of electric bicycle users converged on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A group of around 40 people riding electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and rode through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group due to safety concerns but instead located the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

On Saturday, authorities announced they had served the American online personality known as the influencer, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and three demerit points per notice, connected to the bridge ride-out. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper this week following the event gained traction on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to come here respecting the rules and standards of the city. So when I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, it was my fault we ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: 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 go back."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for regulation. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," he said. "We must ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] police are given the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of the following year, that figure surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.