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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 reckless operation following a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of approximately 40 people operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and rode through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"There was a risk of people to be injured and killed," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on Wednesday.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group due to safety concerns but instead located the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities stated they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by Sur Ronster, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of $562 and three demerit points per notice, connected to the bridge ride-out. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The content creator gave comments to a major newspaper this week following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to greet people 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: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we reverse, basically, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted growing calls for regulation. A senior government official, Mark Butler, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," he said. "We must ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] police are granted the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW recorded 226 injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of the following year, that figure surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.