A UNIQUE e-cargo bike will be helping to cut down on journeys made by car in Kincardine.

Kincardine Community Association and the village's community council have received an Urban Arrow electric cargo bike on a free loan from Forth Environment Link (FEL) for the summer, seeking to change the way people run everyday errands in the area.

The bike was on display at the weekend's Kincardine Gala with residents, who will be able to borrow the bike, showing promising interest.

The community association and centre is planning to use the bike to deliver shopping to villagers from its Food Hub with volunteers being recruited.

Sandra Burt, centre co-ordinator, told the Advertiser: “We will also be lending the bike out to people in the community to do their shopping in Alloa, or go on picnics, or just to try it out.

“If our three-month trial is successful, we will apply for funding to buy our own bike for the community.”

Sandra, who previously volunteered with FEL, added: “It is unusual-looking – it catches people's eye.”

The bike arrived just last week and hopes are to ensure it is well used during the summer.

Indeed, it is understood people at the weekend's gala showed plenty of interest in the bike, made by Amsterdam-based Urban Arrow.

Steven McCready, senior project officer for active travel at FEL, hopes loaning the bike and other similar items to communities in general will change the way people run everyday errands.

He said: “It allows communities to try out new ways of doing shopping, doing deliveries, doing daily routes from commuting through to the school drop-off in way that's less impactful on the environment and is actually better for our physical wellbeing and happiness.

“It's about providing extended loans that really enable communities to get a real strong idea of how they can use these items in an everyday sense.”

Organisations and community groups can visit felscotland.org to see all the projects run by Forth Environment Link.