Horse and carriage waiting in the heat for passengers in the city of Malaga
Credit: Shutterstock
Malaga has set a date for the end of the use of horse-drawn carriages on its streets.
A strong start
The City Council of Malaga has ruled out building new stables in the city, and emphasises that it is “a service to be extinguished” over the next ten years.
On Monday, July 15, the Councilor for Mobility, Trinidad Hernandez, stated that “the model of horse-drawn carriages as a tourist attraction has been difficult to fit into the city for some time.”
10-year promise
Hernandez went on to number the days left for this tourist service, expressing that “In 2035 there will be no more horse-drawn carriages in Malaga.”
In a decisive move, Trinidad Hernandez also ruled out the previously accepted project of moving the current stables to a new location in the city, instead criticising the coachmen for doing “nothing for the maintenance of these stables, nor do they pay anything”, backing up her claims with a list of bills for cleaning and rubbish removal that the council has had to face this year.
In a motion by VOX deputy Yolanda Gomez, they asked the council to “maintain and promote the tradition of horse-drawn carriages in the city”.
Motion denied
However, the Councilor for Mobility rejected this motion, stating “This is not a public service, it is a private service. Our only obligation is to establish the licensing and stopping regime in the city, and to ensure that young coachmen have another job opportunity”, insisting once again that “they have to maintain their stables, pay for disinfection, water, electricity… and they do nothing”.
According to Trinidad Hernandez, the Urban Planning Department has had to allocate half a million euros to repair damage to the pavement of the streets of the centre of Malage, caused by horseshoes.
Explaining in the plenary commission on Urban Planning, Hernandez said “They refuse to use rubber horseshoes as they do in other cities”, adding that “You cannot imagine the complaints from tourists who come to the City Hall every day about the conditions of horse-drawn carriages”.
A step in the right direction
This is a bold move in the right direction for Malaga City, made by the Councilor of Mobility, and while it may take 10 years, it will still have an impact on the industry, and help maintain a better standard for both the horses and the service provided.
There is also hope that this may have a snowball effect on other cities and provinces which adopt the service of horse-drawn carriages.
In December 2023, the Alcudia town council set a precedent when they unanimously approved the modification of municipal regulations for urban transport, urging the carriage owners of Alcudia to switch from horse-drawn carriages to electric-powered vehicles, resembling the traditional carriages.
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Originally from the UK, Harry Sinclair is a journalist and freelance writer based in Almeria covering local stories and international news, with a keen interest in arts and culture. If you have a news story please feel free to get in touch at [email protected].
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