🔗 Share this article

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

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of around 40 individuals operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked a senior police official David Driver on Wednesday.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away the group due to safety concerns but instead located the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

On Saturday, authorities stated they had issued the American online personality who goes by the influencer, 26, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a fine of $562 and three demerit points each, connected to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper this week after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, saying he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to come here respecting the rules and standards of the city. 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 found ourselves 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 turn around, 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 e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted growing calls for regulation. A senior government official, the minister, commented that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," the minister stated. "We must ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] officers are granted the authority to crack down, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of 2025, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four deaths.