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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 negligent driving following a swarm of electric bicycle users gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of around 40 people operating e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," stated a senior police official the officer on Wednesday.

Law enforcement said they did not immediately pursue the riders due to concerns for public safety but rather found the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

Later in the week, authorities announced they had issued the US social media influencer known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a fine of $562 and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

The personality reportedly has more than 3.4m subscribers on YouTube and over 1.2 million on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The online figure gave comments to a major newspaper recently following the event spread rapidly on news sites and social media, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was one of the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to come here respecting the laws and norms of the city. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to say hi near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we turn around, basically, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on streets across the country has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," the minister stated. "We must ensure we stop these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the powers to crack down, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW recorded 226 injuries related to ebikes in the previous year. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.