Tighter control of horse carriages in Palma is to be introduced by the town hall by which offences are to be more strictly defined and sanctions applied in order to ensure animal welfare and the quality of service.
The councillors for animal welfare and transport, Neus Truyol and Joan Ferrer, have responded to claims by owners of the carriages that there has been a lack of consensus and resultant imposition regarding the moving of the stops from the calle Conqueridor. The days of these stops, said Truyol at a press conference, are "numbered". She added that the current regulations are ambiguous with different and at times contradictory interpretations.
Truyol said that controls have intensified over the past three weeks in order to verify the hours that horses are working, to ensure that the number of passengers is not being exceeded and to establish that carriages are in a good condition. Two horses, she pointed out, have been withdrawn from the service following vets' reports.
Ferrer was confused by the statements made by the carriage owners, saying that there have been meetings over several months regarding the move from Conqueridor. "It had been made clear to them that this was a priority. There is a steep slope on the street which forces the horses to make additional effort when they are resting and also when they start to move." Moreover, he pointed out, there is heavy traffic on the road, hence the proposal to move the stops to a spot next to the Customs building, one that has in any event been rejected by the ports authority.
An alternative location for the stops has, therefore, yet to be determined. It should, though, be ready for the summer and meet certain requirements, such as being flat, having good water supply and shade, not being next to houses or shops and not being somewhere with heavy traffic.
The town hall's tightening up on horse carriages follows the accident on Monday when a horse bolted and died after running into a wall, having been alarmed by a man who went to stroke its head. Officers from the local police mounted force who went to the scene established that it was purely an accident. An examination later confirmed that the horse had exhibited no signs of any mistreatment or exhaustion.