Għarb’s elderly residents will from next year be transported around in a new electric car that the locality has just bought through the Eco Gozo scheme.

The eco-cab will be used by the local council, which intends transporting elderly or disabled people for hospital appointments, shopping and other errands.

It also plans to provide a service to tourists who want to visit Wied il-Mielaħ, which was recently embellished through EU funds.

Mayor David Apap Agius told Times of Malta the council was still discussing the logistics of this service, including the way it would be funded. The project will be launched at the beginning of next year.

The vehicle will also replace a car that the council used to have to rent for official events.

Meanwhile, through the same funds, the council will be replacing an old truck used to transport equipment with an eco-truck. Both vehicles were unveiled yesterday by Gozo Minister Anton Refalo at the locality’s primary school.

They form part of a larger €66,500 project called Smart Civic Centre, which includes a childcare centre that opened last year in the same locality. This project is funded by the Gozo Ministry under the Eco-Gozo scheme for local councils.