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NSW authorities have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation after a swarm of e-bike riders gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 individuals operating electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"This had a risk of people to be injured and killed," stated 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 city gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

On Saturday, police stated they had issued the American online personality who goes by Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a fine of $562 and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

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

Creator's Response

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

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to come here respecting the laws and norms of the city. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it was not meant to include a ride-out, 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 a decision to make: whether the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, basically, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has sparked increasing demands for regulation. A senior government official, the minister, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," he said. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are given the powers to crack down, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.