Resources and information to help end abusive horse-drawn carriage businesses.
Coaliton to Ban Horse-Drawn
Carriages
September 2017
Guadalajara replaces Horse-drawn Carriages
Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city, is replacing horse-drawn
carriages with retrofitted, battery operated horse-less carriages. Unlike
New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio, they have a mayor who listened to the
people and decided to do something about it. No empty promises there.
This is an idea that we have been proposing for several years -
unfortunately to closed ears. Now finally a city with almost as many
carriages as NYC (55 to 68) is doing it.
City says goodbye to horse-drawn carriages
First of 55 electric-powered vehicles displayed in Guadalajara
Mexico News Daily | Thursday, August 10, 2017
The traditional horse-drawn carriages are disappearing from the streets of
Guadalajara as the municipal government follows up on a commitment to put a
stop to animal abuse. The carriages that traverse the city’s historic center
are being replaced with electric-powered replicas.
Mayor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez this week presented an example of the new
electric carriages, which are to replace the fleet of 55 traditional
carriages by this time next year.
The first 10 will arrive in Mexico’s second largest city during the next
four months. A second batch of 22 carriages is expected to arrive in the
first half of 2018, and the third and last batch of 23 in one year’s time.
The decision to replace horse-drawn carriages followed a year of discussions
with local animal rights advocacy groups, said the mayor.
“We cannot continue to mistake the idea of tradition with animal abuse. That
no longer has a place in Guadalajara; we’ve put a stop to it today,” said
Alfaro.
The new carriages will operate on extended routes and with an updated set of
regulations created by the municipal Secretariat of Mobility.
Designed by the Guadalajara firm Advanced Power Vehicles, the vehicle is
equipped with a 10-horsepower electric motor that can drive the carriage at
speeds of up to 25 kilometers per hour. The battery is good for 45
kilometers carrying six passengers, a driver and a copilot.
The horseless carriage will also have the usual vehicle lights, using LEDs,
and passengers will be able to plug into four USB charging jacks.
Guadalajara’s 55 existing carriages are pulled by 110 horses, all belonging
to the carriage owners themselves. The municipal government reached an
agreement with them, and none of the animals will be sold.
Instead, they will have the option of keeping them or donating them to
animal shelters or interested individuals.
The municipal animal protection office will monitor the condition of the 110
draught animals once they are retired.
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