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NSW police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported reckless operation after a large group of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of around 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and rode through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of people to be injured and killed," remarked a senior police official David Driver on the following day.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group out of safety concerns but instead located the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities stated they had served the US social media influencer known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a fine of $562 and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

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

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper recently following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, saying he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to come here respecting the laws and norms of Sydney. So when I decided to do a meet and greet 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 a decision to make: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on roads nationwide has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We must ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are granted the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to destroy them."

The state recorded over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.