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NSW authorities have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two driving violation citations for reported reckless operation following a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of around 40 individuals riding electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and rode through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of people to be injured and killed," remarked a senior police official the officer on the following day.

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 city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities announced they had issued the American online personality known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a fine of $562 and three demerit points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The personality reportedly has over 3.4m followers on YouTube and over 1.2m on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a local publication this week after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It 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. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. The federal health minister, the minister, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," the minister stated. "We’ve got to make sure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] officers are granted the authority to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of the following year, that figure surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.