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NSW authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation following a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 people operating electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Police indicated they did not chase right away 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 Content Creator

On Saturday, authorities stated they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a fine of over five hundred dollars and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a local publication this week after the incident spread rapidly on news sites and social media, saying he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to come here respecting the laws and norms of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting 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 ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: whether the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," the minister said. "We must make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the powers to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW reported 226 injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four deaths.