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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for reported negligent driving following a large group of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

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

Police 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 city gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

On Saturday, authorities stated they had issued the American online personality who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a fine of $562 and penalty points each, connected to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has over 3.4 million followers on one platform and over 1.2m on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure spoke with a local publication this week after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was among the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the rules and standards of the city. When I decided to do a meet and greet it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, it was my fault we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we reverse, basically, before entering 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 streets across the country has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. The federal health minister, the minister, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are coming into our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," the minister stated. "We’ve got to make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are given the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to crush them, to destroy them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries associated with electric bikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of the following year, that figure jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.