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NSW authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation after a swarm of electric bicycle users converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of approximately 40 people riding e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and rode through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of people to be injured and killed," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Police indicated they did not chase right away the group out of safety concerns but instead located 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 US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a fine of over five hundred dollars and three demerit points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube and over 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a local publication this week following the event gained traction on news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. So when I decided to do a meet and greet 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 found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on streets across the country has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented 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 early bicycle [but] the harm that are coming into our ERs are truly severe," the minister said. "We’ve got to make sure we stop these things coming into the country [and] officers are given the authority to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of the following year, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.