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New South Wales police have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported negligent driving following a swarm of electric bicycle users converged on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 people riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and rode through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

"There was a risk of people to be injured and killed," stated a senior police official the officer on the following day.

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

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

On Saturday, police announced they had issued the US social media influencer known as Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The personality reportedly has over 3.4m subscribers on one platform and over 1.2m on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a local publication this week following the event gained traction on news sites and social media, saying he regretted giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going 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 ride-out, it was just to say hi 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: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for regulation. A senior government official, Mark Butler, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are coming into our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," the minister said. "We must make sure we prevent these things entering 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 ebikes in 2024. But, in the initial half of 2025, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.