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NSW authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation following a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering 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 subsequently reversed direction and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"There was potential for people to be injured and killed," stated NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on the following day.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away the riders out of concerns for public safety but rather found the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, police announced they had served the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer is said to have over 3.4m followers on YouTube and over 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure gave comments to a local publication recently following the event gained traction on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was one of the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the rules and standards of the city. When I decided to do a meet and greet 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 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, which is a crime. Or we turn around, essentially, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for regulation. The federal health minister, the minister, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are truly severe," he said. "We must ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to crack down, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded 226 injuries related to ebikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of 2025, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.