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NSW police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported reckless operation after a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A group of approximately 40 people riding e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"There was a risk of serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on Wednesday.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group out of concerns for public safety but instead located the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

Later in the week, police stated they had served the American online personality who goes by Sur Ronster, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a fine of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer is said to have over 3.4m followers on YouTube and over 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a local publication this week following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, saying he regretted giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," 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 meet and greet it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, it was my fault we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: whether the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on roads nationwide has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the injuries 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 granted the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in 2024. But, in the initial half of 2025, that figure jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.