🔗 Share this article

NSW police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation after a swarm of electric bicycle users converged on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 individuals operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders then turned around and rode 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 out of safety concerns but rather found the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities announced they had issued the American online personality who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a penalty of over five hundred dollars and three demerit points each, in relation to the bridge incident. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a local publication recently following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, saying he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he said. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to abide by the rules and standards of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people near 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 rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we reverse, basically, 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, the minister, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," the minister stated. "We’ve got to make sure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to crush them, to destroy them."

NSW reported 226 injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of 2025, that figure surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.