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New South Wales police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation after a large group of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and traveled through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

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

Police indicated they did not chase right away the group 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 Content Creator

On Saturday, authorities stated they had issued the US social media influencer known as Sur Ronster, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a fine of $562 and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The personality is said to have more than 3.4 million followers on one platform and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper this week following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, saying he regretted giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was among the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to come here respecting the rules and standards 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 say hi under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: whether the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we reverse, basically, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

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

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," he said. "We must make sure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] officers are given the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.