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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 negligent driving after a large group of electric bicycle users converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of around 40 individuals riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"This had a risk of serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on Wednesday.

Law enforcement said they did not chase right away the riders out of safety concerns but instead located the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

On Saturday, authorities stated they had issued the American online personality who goes by Sur Ronster, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a fine of $562 and penalty points each, connected to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer reportedly has over 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and more than 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure gave comments to a major newspaper this week after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, saying he was sorry for giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by the rules and standards of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, I am to blame we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for regulation. A senior government official, the minister, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," he said. "We must ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] police are granted the authority to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in the previous year. But, in the initial half of 2025, that figure surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.