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

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A group of around 40 people riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, where cycling is prohibited. The riders subsequently reversed direction and rode through the city’s CBD and Haymarket.

"This had potential for serious injury or fatalities," remarked NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on Wednesday.

Police indicated they did not chase right away the riders due to concerns for public safety but instead located the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

Later in the week, police announced they had served the American online personality who goes by the influencer, twenty-six, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a fine of $562 and penalty points each, in relation to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer reportedly has more than 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Creator's Response

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

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he told the publication. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to come here respecting the laws and norms of the city. When I decided to do a public meeting it did not involve a group ride, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, it was my fault we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we reverse, essentially, before entering the bridge. I chose at the time to go back."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The spate of e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, the minister, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are coming into our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," the minister said. "We must make sure we stop these things entering the country [and] police are given the powers to crack down, to take them away, to crush them, to destroy them."

The state reported 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in the previous year. However, in the initial half of the following year, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four deaths.