Seven drivers stopped for a ‘chat on the mat’ in Portobello and Joppa yesterday

Police officers in Portobello and Joppa yesterday were stopping drivers for a ‘chat on the mat’  as part of Operation Close Pass to promote the safe use of shared road space.

A police officer cycling in plain clothes uses cameras to alert a colleague, further up the road, if they are passed too closely by a car.

The ‘offending’ vehicle is then stopped and the driver spoken to.

Officers then demonstrate with a mat to demonstrate the safe distance drivers should leave when they pass a bike user.

In a tweet, the Roads Policing Unit said: ” # EdinburghRP and Craigmillar Community officers carried out a Close Pass operation today in Portobello & Joppa. 7 motorists were brought into the site for a ‘Chat on the mat’ and 4 document offences were detected & reported to the PF (Procurator Fiscal).”

‘Document offences’ include drivers failing to produce a copy of their driving licence or other documents.