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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for reported negligent driving following a swarm of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 people riding e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and traveled through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of serious injury or fatalities," remarked a senior police official David Driver on Wednesday.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away the riders due to concerns for public safety but rather found the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

On Saturday, police stated they had issued the American online personality known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a fine of $562 and three demerit points each, in relation to the bridge ride-out. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The personality is said to have more than 3.4m followers on one platform and more than 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure gave comments to a local publication recently following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, saying he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to come here respecting the rules and standards of the city. 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’m unfamiliar with the city, 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, an illegal act. Or we reverse, basically, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are truly severe," he said. "We must make sure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] officers are given the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in the previous year. But, in the first seven months of 2025, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.