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New South Wales authorities have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two driving violation citations for reported reckless operation after a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A gathering of approximately 40 people operating e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and rode through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"There was potential for people to be injured and killed," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on the following day.

Police indicated they did not immediately pursue the group out of concerns for public safety but instead located the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, police announced they had served the US social media influencer known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two violation tickets for negligent driving (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and three demerit points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The content creator gave comments to a local publication this week following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, stating 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 am a visitor here, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a group ride, it was just to greet people under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we found ourselves 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 turn around, basically, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

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

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We’ve got to ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW recorded over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in the previous year. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.