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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 e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark 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 primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders then turned around and traveled through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Police said they did not chase right away the group due to concerns for public safety but instead located the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

Later in the week, police stated they had served the US social media influencer known as the influencer, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

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

Creator's Response

The content creator spoke with a local publication this week following the event gained traction on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was among the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, 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 ride-out, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, 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 electric bicycles on streets across the country has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," he stated. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are given the powers to crack down, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to destroy them."

The state recorded over two hundred injuries associated with electric bikes in the previous year. However, in the initial half of 2025, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.