🔗 Share this article

New South Wales police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for reported negligent driving after a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A group of approximately 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and traveled through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

"There was a risk of serious injury or fatalities," remarked a senior police official the officer on the following day.

Police said they did not chase right away the riders due to concerns for public safety but instead located the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

On Saturday, authorities announced they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, 26, with two violation tickets for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a penalty of $562 and penalty points each, connected to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4m subscribers on one platform and over 1.2m on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper this week following the event gained traction on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he told the publication. "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 public meeting it did not involve a group ride, it was just to say hi 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 completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, the minister, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," the minister stated. "We’ve got to ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] police are given the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded 226 injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of 2025, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.