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New South Wales police have issued a fine against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported negligent driving after a swarm of electric bicycle users converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A group of approximately 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group out of safety concerns but rather found the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities stated they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, 26, 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 over 3.4 million followers on one platform and over 1.2m on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The online figure gave comments to a major newspaper this week after the incident spread rapidly on news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, it was my fault we ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and comes back, which is a crime. 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 Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted increasing demands for regulation. A senior government official, the minister, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," the minister stated. "We’ve got to ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to crush them, to destroy them."

The state recorded 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of 2025, that figure surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.