End of road for horse-drawn carriage rides for tourists in Malaga

After long-running protests from animal welfare groups, Malaga has bid farewell to horse-drawn carriages for tourists in the city. Mayor Francisco De la Torre announced the ban on this type of tourist transport with immediate effect from Monday, 6 October, with a video posted on social media.

De la Torre stated that Malaga is taking this step "with the welfare and safety of the animals in mind". For this reason, the city council has compensated the holders of the 25 licences still active in the city. This measure has been brought forward by a whole decade, as it was initially planned for 2035.

De la Torre ended the video stating that "Malaga has evolved and now there are many sustainable ways of getting around the city: the best of all is to enjoy a stroll through our streets".

Of the 55 horse-drawn carriage licences that existed in 2018, some 30 were already subject to redemption and cancellation, on a voluntary basis and with prior compensation, in the years 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The revocation of the remaining 25 licences has been determined by the incompatibility of the horse carriage ride service with the development of the city under conditions of safety and health, both for road users and for the animals themselves.

This revocation entails compensation to licence holders, as they will not be able to carry out their activity until the date established by the bylaw. The compensation of each licence amounts to 125,380.48 euros.

This Monday, the city council will remove the signs indicating reserved parking spaces for horse-drawn carriages on Cortina del Muelle, Paseo de los Curas and Avenida de Cervantes, with the latter two now reserved for motorbikes.