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NSW police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for reported reckless operation following a large group of e-bike riders converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 individuals riding e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of serious injury or fatalities," remarked a senior police official the officer on Wednesday.

Law enforcement said they did not immediately pursue the group out of concerns for public safety but instead located the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

On Saturday, authorities announced they had issued the American online personality known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and three demerit points each, connected to the bridge incident. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4 million followers on one platform and more than 1.2m on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a major newspaper this week following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, saying he regretted giving "the biking community" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. That was among the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the rules and standards of the city. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, it was my fault we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has prompted growing calls for regulation. A senior government official, the minister, recently said 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 presenting at our ERs are truly severe," the minister stated. "We’ve got to ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are granted the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to crush them, to destroy them."

NSW recorded 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of 2025, that figure surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.