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New South Wales authorities have levied a penalty against an US-based online influencer and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged negligent driving after a large group of e-bike riders gathered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 individuals operating e-bikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

"This had a risk of serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on the following day.

Law enforcement indicated they did not immediately pursue the riders due to concerns for public safety but instead located the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

Later in the week, authorities stated they had served the American online personality who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a penalty of $562 and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that inquiries were continuing.

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

Influencer's Comments

The online figure gave comments to a major newspaper recently after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, saying he regretted giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was among the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to abide by the rules and standards of the city. So when I decided to do a meet and greet 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, 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, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has sparked growing calls for regulation. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are presenting at our ERs are absolutely devastating," he stated. "We must ensure we stop these things coming into the country [and] police are given the powers to take strong action, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to destroy them."

The state reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in the previous year. But, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.