January 14, 2025
Town Council customers post paperwork to ban horse-drawn carriages in downtown San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Associates of City Council are pushing to ban horse-drawn carriages in downtown San Antonio, citing “inhumane” therapy of the animals and a damaging environmental effects thanks to increased visitors congestion.

Councilmembers Jalen McKeen Rodriguez of District 2 and Phyllis Viagran of District 3 submitted the paperwork on Wednesday morning that phone calls for the close of horse-drawn carriages by Dec. 31, 2023, in accordance to documents.

Adriana Rocha Garcia of District 4, Ana Sandoval of District 7 and Manny Pelaez of District 8 supported the Council Thought Request. The downtown space lies within District 1.

The CCR calls for the phasing out of horse-drawn carriages and would prohibit the use of horses with carriage rides.

The metropolis would build a plan to assist personnel in the transition to electric powered carriages and pedicabs, the paperwork states.

The strategy would also stop the issuance of new horse-drawn carriage permits, medallions and distinctive occasion permits, and allow present permits to expire.

“For a long time, residents have known as out the use of horses in horse drawn carriages as an inhumane, cruel means of travel in San Antonio,” the proposal states, adding that site visitors sounds, pollution, intense weather conditions, labor and standing on challenging surfaces are “detrimental” to their wellbeing.

“These aspects, in addition to natural environment impacts of idling automobiles and slowed targeted visitors justify a changeover absent from the use of horse drawn carriages,” the CCR states.

Check out: Carriage operators weigh in immediately after proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages

The scenic strolls on horse-drawn carriages through downtown San Antonio could arrive to an conclusion after users of the metropolis council submitted paperwork to ban them, citing inhumane procedure and increased site visitors congestion. KSAT’s John Paul Barajas speaks with carriage operators to hear what they experienced to say about the proposed ban.

McKee-Rodriguez and Viagran want to consist of the proposal on the agenda at the earliest governance committee meeting doable.

The CCR was submitted just months just after the Transportation Advisory Board accredited hour improvements for carriage operators, according to the San Antonio Report. The board reversed the rule that mentioned operators cannot use horse-drawn carriages from midday-8:30 p.m. on times with an Air Quality Health and fitness Inform.

The hour changes would have to be permitted by City Council.

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