Malaga will no longer offer horse-drawn carriages in 2025

Malaga waves goodbye to its emblematic horse-drawn carriage rides for tourists, announcing an estimated €3,134,510 plan to buy back the remaining 25 licences.

The council set the cost of each licence cancellation at €125,380, far exceeding previous estimates of €35,000. The recent decision hopes to terminate the service in 2025. It is in line a 2015 ruling that limits licences to only 20 years.

Concerns about animal welfare and Malaga’s urban and climate constraints are the main reasons behind the decision. They also mention the activity’s incompatibility to modern city standards, as well the public’s opinion. The carriages have been accused of causing over €500,000 in damages to public roads, with owners refusing rubber horseshoes. Also, the council spends €20,000 annually on cleaning facilities, a responsibility of coachmen.

The plan, part of a €13.7 million budget modification, sets aside  the saved €5 million for Mobility, including €1.7 million for 23 electric buses for Malaga. Other expenses will go into LED streetlights (€2.55 million), neighbourhood repairs from last November’s storms (€621,670), and housing rehabilitation in Carranque (€656,000).

The council said horse-drawn wagons were dangerous to public safety and animal welfare. It marked a shift in the direction of sustainable urban mobility for Malaga, which is increasingly leading in terms of environmental and infrastructure improvements.