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NSW authorities have issued a fine 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 the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 people operating e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

"This had potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on Wednesday.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group out of safety concerns but rather found the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities announced they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer is said to have more than 3.4m subscribers on one platform and over 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure gave comments to a major newspaper recently after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to abide by the rules and standards of Sydney. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a group ride, it was just to greet people near 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, basically, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of electric bicycles on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. The federal health minister, the minister, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are coming into our ERs are absolutely devastating," the minister said. "We must ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

The state reported 226 injuries related to ebikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.