Thousands take part in Pedal on Parliament in Edinburgh

Thousands of cyclists rode to the Scottish Parliament to demand safer roads, with a minute’s silence held for all those who have died on the roads in the country.

The annual Pedal on Parliament started in 2012 and calls on politicians to prioritise making Scotland a cycle-friendly country.

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According to the Edinburgh News, Pedal on Parliament organiser David Brennan rode the bike that was used by Andrew McNicoll when he died on the Scottish capital’s roads in 2012.

“The fact that there are so few scratches on this bike, shows just how vulnerable we are on the road,” Brennan told the newspaper.

“We need to see conditions where everyone can ride and families do not suffer the tragedies the McNicoll family have.”

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Transport Minister Derek Mackay, who also attended the event, said: “We’ll put our money where our mouth is to invest in infrastructure so that cycling is seen as a proper mode of transport – across a range of policies.”