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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Sian Traynor

Hundreds of Edinburgh families turn out to call for 'child-friendly' cycling

A number of Edinburgh families were seen cycling around Edinburgh city centre on Sunday to encourage safer cycling for children.

Taking part in the Kidical Mass cycle, hundreds of local residents gathered at Harrison Park before heading off towards the Meadows in tandem.

Ringing their bells and playing music as they went, the group were campaigning for the capital to become safer for children and young people on bikes.

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Beginning at 2pm, the route saw cyclists head towards the city centre before turning through the Meadows, with one clip from the event showing the group move past the King's Theatre.

Speaking about the event, Ewen Maclean an organiser of the Kidical Mass group, said:

"The kidical mass movement is about demonstrating the need and demand to allow kids the freedom and safety to move around our cities in a healthy and sustainable way.

"Very shortly these kids will be independent young adults and the benefits of encouraging active travel are clear and societal.

"Not only is incorporating active travel into your lives good for your mental and physical well-being, helping to address the inactivity crisis, and the climate crisis, but it reduces traffic volume, pollution and accidents and damage to our roads - which benefits those who need to drive as well as those that don't.

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"The children on the ride were able to chat and laugh and be outside interacting with their community, feeling safe enough to get around.

"These kids were the lucky ones: many, many more would have loved to have joined from Leith, Portobello and other areas further afield but there is no safe route for them to access the ride.

"This is why we need to fight for safe routes across the city for all residents, but this ride was about giving a voice to kids, who can't vote or participate in consultations - we need to listen to what is important for them for the future."

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