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New South Wales authorities have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for alleged negligent driving after a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A group of approximately 40 people riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and traveled through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away the riders due to concerns for public safety but instead located the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

Later in the week, authorities stated they had served the US social media influencer who goes by Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer is said to have over 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube 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 news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings 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. So when I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a group ride, it was just to greet people 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, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

National Debate on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are coming into our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," the minister said. "We’ve got to ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are granted the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW recorded 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in the previous year. However, in the first seven months of 2025, that figure surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.