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NSW police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for reported reckless operation after a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A group of around 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

"This had potential for people to be injured and killed," stated a senior police official David Driver on the following day.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away the group out of safety concerns but rather found the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities stated they had served the American online personality who goes by the influencer, 26, with two violation tickets for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points each, connected to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The personality is said to have more than 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and more than 1.2m on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The content creator spoke with a major newspaper recently after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to greet people under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of e-bikes on streets across the country has sparked increasing demands for regulation. A senior government official, Mark Butler, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," the minister said. "We must ensure we stop these things coming into the country [and] police are granted the authority to crack down, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

The state reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of 2025, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.