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NSW police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation following a swarm of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 people operating electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and rode through the downtown area and Haymarket.

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

Police said they did not chase right away the riders out of safety concerns but rather found the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities stated they had served the US social media influencer known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has over 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper recently following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, stating he regretted giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was one of the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people near 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, an illegal act. Or we reverse, basically, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of electric bicycles on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for regulation. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are absolutely devastating," he said. "We must ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are given the powers to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of 2025, that figure jumped to 233 injuries plus four deaths.