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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation after a swarm of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A group of around 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"This had potential for people to be injured and killed," stated NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on Wednesday.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group due to safety concerns but rather found the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, police stated they had issued the US social media influencer known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and three demerit points per notice, in relation to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

The personality is said to have over 3.4m subscribers on one platform and over 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 news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by the rules and standards of the city. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a group ride, it was just to greet people under 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, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, the minister, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to crack down, to take them away, to crush them, to destroy them."

The state recorded 226 injuries related to electric bikes in the previous year. However, in the first seven months of 2025, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.