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NSW police have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation following a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of around 40 people operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on the following day.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the riders out of concerns for public safety but rather found the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

Later in the week, authorities announced they had issued the American online personality known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of $562 and three demerit points each, connected to the bridge ride-out. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer is said to have over 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and more than 1.2 million on the social media app.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper recently after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. When I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a group ride, it was just to say hi near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, 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 reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has prompted increasing demands for regulation. A senior government official, Mark Butler, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are coming into our ERs are truly severe," he said. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. But, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.