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NSW police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for alleged negligent driving after a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of around 40 people operating electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on Wednesday.

Police said they did not chase right away the riders due to safety concerns but rather found the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, authorities announced they had served the American online personality known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a local publication recently following the event gained traction on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of the city. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to say hi 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: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we reverse, basically, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

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

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are coming into our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We must make sure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to destroy them."

The state reported over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. But, in the initial half of 2025, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.