🔗 Share this article

New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an American social media personality and handed out two driving violation citations for reported reckless operation after a swarm of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

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

"This had a risk of serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on Wednesday.

Law enforcement indicated they did not immediately pursue the group due to concerns for public safety but rather found the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

Later in the week, authorities stated they had issued the US social media influencer known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and three demerit points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

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

Creator's Response

The online figure gave comments to a local publication this week after the incident spread rapidly on news sites and social media, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was one of the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, 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, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on roads nationwide has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, the minister, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," the minister said. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to take strong action, to take them away, to crush them, to destroy them."

NSW recorded over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.