🔗 Share this article

NSW authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported reckless operation after a swarm of electric bicycle users converged on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 individuals riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled 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 Wednesday.

Law enforcement said they did not immediately pursue the group due to concerns for public safety but rather found the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, police stated they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a penalty of $562 and three demerit points each, connected to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4m followers on YouTube and more than 1.2m on the social media app.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure gave comments to a local publication this week following the event gained traction on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. It was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "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 public meeting it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to greet people 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: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are truly severe," he said. "We must ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are granted the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW recorded 226 injuries related to ebikes in the previous year. However, in the first seven months of 2025, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.