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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged negligent driving following a swarm of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 people operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

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

Law enforcement said they did not immediately pursue the riders due to concerns for public safety but instead located the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, police announced they had served the American online personality who goes by the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper this week after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to say hi 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 comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has prompted growing calls for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," he stated. "We must make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are granted the powers to crack down, to confiscate them, to crush them, to destroy 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.