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New South Wales police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two traffic infringement notices for alleged negligent driving after a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 individuals operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and rode 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 indicated they did not immediately pursue the group due to 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

On Saturday, police announced they had issued the American online personality known as the influencer, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer reportedly has over 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and over 1.2 million on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper this week following the event gained traction on news sites and social media, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was one of the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by the laws and norms of the city. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve 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 comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented 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 presenting at our ERs are truly severe," the minister stated. "We must ensure we stop these things coming into the country [and] officers are given the authority to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state reported 226 injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. But, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.