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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two traffic infringement notices for reported negligent driving following 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 travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"This had potential for serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on the following day.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the riders out of concerns for public safety but rather found the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, police announced they had served the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

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

Creator's Response

The content creator spoke with a local publication recently following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to come here respecting the rules and standards of the city. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, it was my fault we found ourselves on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we reverse, basically, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, 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 penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We must make sure we stop these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in the previous year. But, in the first seven months of the following year, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.