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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an American social media personality and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation after a large group of electric bicycle users converged on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of around 40 individuals riding electric bikes and motorbikes travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"There was potential for people to be injured and killed," stated a senior police official David Driver on Wednesday.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the riders due to safety concerns but rather found the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

On Saturday, police announced they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a fine of $562 and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The personality reportedly has more than 3.4m subscribers on one platform and over 1.2m on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The online figure gave comments to a local publication this week after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by the rules and standards of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a group ride, it was just to say hi near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of electric bicycles on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for regulation. A senior government official, the minister, recently said 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 injuries that are coming into our ERs are truly severe," he stated. "We must make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries related to ebikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.