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NSW authorities have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for reported negligent driving after a swarm of e-bike riders gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of around 40 people riding electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

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

Law enforcement said they did not chase right away the group out of concerns for public safety but rather found the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, police stated they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, 26, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a fine of $562 and three demerit points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4m followers on one platform and over 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a major newspaper recently after the incident gained traction on news sites and social media, saying he regretted giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, it was my fault we found ourselves on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and comes back, which is a crime. Or we turn around, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has prompted growing calls for regulation. A senior government official, 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 early bicycle [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are truly severe," he stated. "We must make sure we stop these things coming into the country [and] police are given the powers to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state reported 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in the previous year. However, in the initial half of 2025, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.