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New South Wales authorities have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for alleged negligent driving following a large group of electric bicycle users gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of around 40 people operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"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 riders due to safety concerns but instead located the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

On Saturday, police stated they had issued the American online personality known as the influencer, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a penalty of $562 and penalty points each, connected to the bridge ride-out. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The online figure gave comments to a local publication this week following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to come here respecting the laws and norms of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include 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 a decision to make: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted growing calls for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," the minister said. "We’ve got to make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW recorded over two hundred injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of 2025, that number jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.