🔗 Share this article

NSW authorities have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged negligent driving after a large group of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

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 city’s CBD and a nearby district.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked a senior police official the officer on the following day.

Law enforcement said they did not immediately pursue the riders due to concerns for public safety but rather found the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, police announced they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a penalty of $562 and three demerit points each, connected to the bridge ride-out. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

The personality reportedly has more than 3.4m followers on one platform and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The content creator gave comments to a local publication this week following the event gained traction on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. It was one of the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a group ride, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, it was my fault we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we reverse, basically, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," he stated. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are given the authority to take strong action, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in the previous year. However, in the initial half of the following year, that figure jumped to 233 injuries plus four deaths.