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New South Wales police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two traffic infringement notices for reported negligent driving after a large group of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of approximately 40 people riding 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 serious injury or fatalities," remarked a senior police official the officer on Wednesday.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away the group due to 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

Later in the week, authorities stated they had issued the American online personality known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer is said to have more than 3.4m followers on one platform and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator gave comments to a local publication recently after the incident gained traction on news sites and social media, saying he was sorry for 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 the city. When I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a group ride, it was just to greet people under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, it was my fault we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: whether the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we turn around, basically, 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 streets across the country has prompted increasing demands for regulation. The federal health minister, the minister, commented that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We’ve got to ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported 226 injuries related to ebikes in the previous year. But, in the first seven months of 2025, that number jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.