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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 negligent driving after a large group of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 people riding 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 people to be injured and killed," stated a senior police official the officer on the following day.

Law enforcement indicated they did not immediately pursue the group due to concerns for public safety but instead located the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

On Saturday, authorities stated they had served the American online personality known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and three demerit points each, connected to the bridge ride-out. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The personality reportedly has more than 3.4m subscribers on YouTube and more than 1.2m on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The content creator spoke with a major newspaper this week after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by 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 near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on streets across the country has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," the minister said. "We must ensure we stop these things coming into the country [and] police are granted the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries related to ebikes in the previous year. But, in the initial half of 2025, that number jumped to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.