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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported reckless operation after a large group of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of around 40 individuals operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders subsequently reversed direction and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

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

Police said they did not chase right away the riders out of concerns for public safety but instead located the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities announced they had served the US social media influencer who goes by Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a fine of $562 and penalty points each, connected to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer is said to have more than 3.4 million followers on one platform and more than 1.2m on the social media app.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a local publication recently following the event gained traction on news sites and social media, saying he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It 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. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a ride-out, 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 a decision to make: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and comes back, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted growing calls for regulation. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," the minister said. "We must ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded over two hundred injuries related to ebikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of the following year, that figure jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.