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NSW police have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for reported negligent driving after a swarm of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of around 40 people riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had potential for people to be injured and killed," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Police said they did not chase right away the riders due to safety concerns but instead located the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

Later in the week, police announced they had served the American online personality who goes by Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and three demerit points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4m followers on one platform and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Influencer's Comments

The online figure spoke with a major newspaper recently following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he regretted giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. When I decided to do a meet and greet it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, 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 comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked growing calls for regulation. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," he stated. "We must make sure we stop these things coming into the country [and] police are granted the authority to crack down, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded 226 injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of 2025, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.