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New South Wales authorities have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation after a swarm of e-bike riders converged on the famous Sydney landmark during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A group of around 40 individuals riding e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and rode through the downtown area and Haymarket.

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

Law enforcement indicated they did not immediately pursue the group due to concerns for public safety but rather found the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

Later in the week, police announced they had served the US social media influencer known as Sur Ronster, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a fine of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

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

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was among the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of the city. When I decided to do a meet and greet it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to say hi near the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has sparked growing calls for regulation. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," the minister stated. "We must ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] officers are granted the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW recorded over two hundred injuries associated with electric bikes in 2024. However, in the first seven months of 2025, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.