Electric carriages instead of horse-drawn carriages in Malaga: “Maybe when they leave, they’ll put them in”

Traditional horse-drawn carriages have their days numbered in the capital of the Costa del Sol. Although they have an operating license until 2035, the Town Hall intends to remove the service as soon as possible, so electric carriages could be an alternative. Cities like Seville, the Animalist Party with the Environment (Pacma) has already proposed a gradual transition to electric cars without the use of animals, which is already underway in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) or Brussels (Belgium) . In fact, the Belgian capital was the first European city to replace its tourist carriages with electric cars. According to public television RTBF, this initiative is successful because tourists consider it more respectful of animals and, moreover, as they are designed in a classic style, they are part of tradition and maintain a historical aesthetic under the name from ‘The’. electric calèses from Brussels, these vehicles do not pollute either because they are 100% electric and can travel around 120 kilometers before recharging. 25 permits In Malaga, there are currently 25 carriages authorized to circulate. . About two hundred meters from Malaga Cathedral, near the Muelle Uno promenade, is the only carriage stop of this type in the city. There, next to his horse, Juan Luis, one of the coachmen, explained that a few years ago there were several stops throughout the city where travelers could get on and off. “Before, we had five or six stops. Now the mayor is leaving us alone with that. At that point, he told us that he wasn’t going to kick us out, that we were going to leave. And it’s true, because one day you earn 30 euros, another day you earn nothing…”, he lamented. The mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, told EFE that its intention is to remove this service as soon as possible because there is perhaps a greater sensitivity to the welfare of animals and keeping them may harm the image that tourists have of the city. the municipal council considered removing these tanks from the streets and approved the ordinance that sets a maximum validity of twenty years for these permits (which was done, according to Juan Luis -the coachman-, without counting on them). But according to De la Torre, they offered fair financial compensation to workers as well as a training plan that makes it easier for them to find another job or job. Precisely one of the problems linked to the elimination of. carriages is that, with them, dozens of jobs would be lost. In fact, many coach drivers prefer alternative work rather than financial compensation. According to municipal sources, the average price for removing the permit in these years has been 35,000 euros per person, although the current offer is much higher. The last operation of these characteristics was carried out in 2020 and, so far, the Town Hall has paid just over a million euros for the liquidation of these licenses. Coachmen like Juan Luis criticize this, although they have informed the municipality that many of them. The workers prefer to forgo compensation and get another job, the city council’s response was that there is no work for them: “We are all leaving here.” It’s a shame. I am already a fourth generation coach driver. On the 15th we met with the mayor to tell us when we would get half the money, but at the beginning of the year everyone left. “It’s lost,” lamented Juan Luis. Asked whether they had not been offered to replace the current cars with electric cars, the coachman assured that the Town Hall had not told them anything on this subject. However, in a few years, electric cars will be on the road in Malaga. “Maybe when we leave, they will start the electric cars, but because there will perhaps be a company that will pay the Town Hall…” suggested the coachman. Horse-drawn carriages have their days numbered in Malaga. will be able to circulate in the center of Malaga until 2035 at the latest, even if the town hall wants to abolish them as quickly as possible. María AlonsoCriticism from animal rights activists Faced with the municipality’s announcement to quickly ban horse-drawn carriages, coachmen are defending their profession. and ensure that their animals are well cared for. Antonio, another of the 25 workers who drive these carriages in the capital of Malaga, said the horses were in perfect condition. Likewise, they ensured that they do not work when it is very hot, that they are well hydrated, properly fed and that they work their assigned hours without overworking the animals. But animal rights groups and some political parties continue to frequently denounce them. the conditions of stress and heat suffered by the animals and demand that this service be abolished before 2035. The animal welfare law, which for just over a week has already prohibited the sale of dogs, cats or ferrets in commercial premises, does not prohibit the use of horses for this tourist service. However, Article 65 specifies how animals participating in pilgrimages, festive events, nativity scenes, parades and processions must be treated, as well as the times, weather conditions that must exist and the hygiene measures that must be taken. be respected. be met. In cities like Cádiz or Barcelona, ​​there are no more horse-drawn carriages. In the capital Cádiz, the last of its tanks stopped working and the city of Barcelona has no longer offered this service since 2018. This measure was carried out after the City Hall did not renew the concession following the controversy caused by the death of a horse. who dragged a horse-drawn carriage with tourists in the summer of 2015. And in Malaga, a city that is increasingly betting on technology and sustainability, they could also be an alternative although the current government team has not done proposal in this sense to coachmen and The advisor for mobility in 2023, José del Río, declared after having studied it that it was not yet possible because these electric vehicles are not yet approved to circulate on public roads .

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