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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 reported negligent driving following a large group of electric bicycle users converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Event: An Illegal Gathering

A group of around 40 people riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The riders then turned around and rode through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of people to be injured and killed," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on Wednesday.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away 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.

Fines Imposed for Influencer

On Saturday, authorities announced they had served the American online personality known as the influencer, 26, with two violation tickets for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), with a fine of $562 and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and more than 1.2m on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The content creator gave comments to a local publication recently after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. So when I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a group ride, 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 two choices: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we turn around, essentially, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The spate of e-bikes on roads nationwide has prompted growing calls for regulation. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the injuries that are coming into our ERs are absolutely devastating," the minister said. "We’ve got to ensure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the powers to crack down, to take them away, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW reported 226 injuries related to electric bikes in the previous year. But, in the first seven months of the following year, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four fatalities.