PALMA – Horse-drawn carriages in which tourists are driven around the main sights in many Spanish cities will be banned in Palma (Mallorca) from 2024.
This was decided by the city council following the recent death of a horse. The animal had collapsed from the heat. Therefore, to this end, the council has amended municipal regulations. Now there is a “phased change from all horse-drawn carriages in the city to electric alternatives”.
This decision comes after the controversy that has caused the use of horses to pull this type of vehicle. Especially in the months with high temperatures and heatwaves, such as this year in June and July.
Last Saturday, a horse collapsed in the middle of the city street while the passengers sat in the carriage. Bystanders reacted indignantly to the fact that the tourists in question simply stayed in their carriage. Others shouted that the horse needed water due to the heat.
In addition to the ban, Palma City Council will “establish a series of subsidies. This is to allow for the process of replacing all horse-drawn carriages with electric alternatives. By 2024 at the latest, all horse-drawn carriages should be removed from the streets.
Until banned, no horse-drawn carriages in weather codes for heat
Diario de Mallorca reported that the city council is planning to publish the change for the Balearic Islands Official Gazette in August. Until they are totally banned, horse-drawn carriages will not be allowed to drive when the Spanish Weather Institute has issued a yellow, orange or red heat warning.
