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Juan Soto
Malaga
Friday, 17 January 2025, 10:39
The sight of horse-drawn carriages touring the historic streets and showing tourists the most emblematic corners of Malaga city is about to be a thing of the past. The mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, has announced that the council wants to put an end to this trade before the end of the year; a measure that will be a hard blow for the 25 families that still make a living from this activity in the city.
Although not unexpected – the coach drivers have been negotiating with the city council for months – the news has hit them like a brick. "If they want to get rid of the horses, they should compensate us, pay for the stables, and give us jobs," declared Pepe, one of the veterans, on Wednesday. "They say it's for animal welfare, but these animals are better off than some people," Domingo immediately chipped in.
Horse-drawn carriage activity has been associated with the history of the city for decades, but it is slowly dwindling. Years ago there were 60 licences and five stops scattered throughout the city centre; now there are just 25 licences and a single stop on Plaza de la Marina. "They've been wanting to get rid of us for years; they told us they wouldn't renew our concession, but we didn't expect them to bring it forward so much," Pepe said.
Among the professionals currently working in the sector, there are many who prefer not to speak out for fear of reprisals ("they have advised us not to say anything while everything is being negotiated"), but others cannot keep quiet about what they think: "When they remove the horses from here, what will happen to the animals? They will all go to the slaughterhouse," said Antonio, visibly angry.
"From now on, we'll have no choice but to fend for ourselves," added Antonio, who his colleagues know as 'El Guiri'.
In his proposal, De la Torre acknowledged that they are in talks with the drivers because they still have eleven years left on their concession. Regarding the decision, he said that they are taking this step "thinking about the welfare of the animals and the image that the city offers to the world". "In 2025, there are much more efficient and respectful ways of getting around," he said.
These words have not gone down well with the workers. Pepe claimed that it is a service in great demand by tourists and certainly the most typical of the city. "This has always been a part of Malaga's heritage and is highly sought after by many visitors; not to mention that it is the cheapest way to explore the city, as up to four people can travel for just 30 euros."
Regarding the welfare of the animals, he added: "The horses are very well cared for because it is our way of life; they have food every day, clean bedding and all their vaccinations are in order; Additionally, we rotate them daily so that they can rest and are not tired."
In this regard, Domingo added that animals need to go outside and run around because they notice it when they spend too much time in the stables. "This is what the animals need; they are clean and very well looked after, and this is something that everyone can see."
In fact, the owners believe that the council's decision is not really due to concerns about the welfare of the animals but to the intention of pedestrianising more and more streets. "They have been preventing us from working normally for years; we used to stop at the cathedral and could access many streets, but now they won't let us," they said.
Apparently, the coach drivers have already reached a first initial agreement with the city council team, which would pay them 120,000 euros to terminate each of the horse-drawn carriage licences. "We are going to wait for a good solution because if in the end they offer less, many of our colleagues will not accept it and there will be trouble," they declared.
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