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NSW police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation after a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A group of around 40 people riding e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the downtown area and a nearby district.

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

Police said they did not immediately pursue the group due to safety concerns but rather found the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

On Saturday, police stated they had served the American online personality known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a fine of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer is said to have over 3.4m followers on one platform and more than 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator spoke with a local publication recently following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to come here respecting the laws and norms of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting 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 two choices: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we turn around, basically, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of electric bicycles on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, commented that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We’ve got to make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] police are granted the powers to take strong action, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

The state recorded 226 injuries related to electric bikes in the previous year. However, in the first seven months of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.