Horse-drawn carriages are most unlikely to be seen in Playa de Muro this year. Not all drivers who have obtained the six licences for electric carriages that were put out to tender by Muro Town Hall yet have the new carriages, but they say they won't use horses because of the increasingly negative sentiment.
Some of the drivers already operate the new electric carriages that, in the spring of 2025, made Alcudia a pioneering municipality in Spain in the use of these vehicles as a replacement for horse-drawn carriages. They are licensed to operate in both Alcudia and Muro, which are neighbouring municipalities.
It was the drivers themselves who pushed for electric carriages. Criticisms and verbal abuse directed at them for the use of horses demanded a change.
The six licenses granted to operate carriages in Playa de Muro were each €20,000. The annual charge used to be only €50. There were no formal concessions. The situation with carriages in Muro had never been regulated as such.
One driver says: "Although we have made this significant outlay, we consider it a long-term investment, so that everything is in order for when we have electric carriages." The town hall had originally opted for electric tuk-tuks, but the drivers prefer the carriages being used in Alcudia.
Regarding the drivers waiting for delivery of the new carriages and not providing a horse service in the meantime, the mayor of Muro, Miquel Porquer, says that this is the drivers' decision. "If they wished to, they have all the necessary permits to use horse-drawn carriages during the transition period to electric vehicles."
These certified electric carriages are still a very new type of vehicle, and there is only one specialist manufacturer (in Valencia). The carriages cost €30,000. Apart from this supply issue, there is also maintenance. At present, there is only one qualified mechanic. But at least he is nearby - in Alcudia.