Lead: Cartagena, Colombia, will prohibit traditional horse-drawn buggies in the Old City starting December 29, replacing them with a fleet of 62 electric carriages in a roughly $2 million program meant to address animal-welfare concerns and modernize tourist transport. The decision follows years of protests from animal-rights advocates and a high-profile campaign that demonstrated battery-powered prototypes. Cart owners and drivers say the move threatens livelihoods and local heritage; city officials argue the change reflects evolving tourism standards and environmental goals. Negotiations over compensation and job transitions remain unresolved.
Key Takeaways
- Cartagena’s municipal government will ban horse-drawn buggies on December 29 and introduce 62 Chinese-made electric carriages funded as part of a roughly $2 million investment.
- The electric vehicles have large wheels, open tops, speakers, steering-wheel controls, and batteries advertised to last about 70 km (43 miles) per charge.
- Corpoturismo will help operate the new fleet; batteries are intended to be charged from a solar-powered charging station at a municipal warehouse.
- Local animal-rights activists cite repeated incidents of horses collapsing and injuries from paved streets; campaigners including comedian Alejandro Riaño raised over $25,000 in 2021 to build a battery-powered prototype.
- Cart owners report typical revenues for a horse carriage of about $150 per day and say a reported $10,000 compensation offer would not cover their losses.
- Mayor Domek Turbay says the city is open to profit-sharing and will offer tourists free rides on the new carts for two months, but cart owners say no formal written compensation offers have been delivered.
Background
Cartagena’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is ringed by colonial stone walls and narrow streets that have made horse-drawn buggies a visible part of the city’s tourist identity for decades. The carriages offer photo-friendly, shaded transport through plazas and past historic mansions; drivers commonly narrate local history to visitors. Over recent years animal-welfare groups have argued that urban traffic, heat and paved surfaces cause stress and physical harm to horses, citing multiple episodes in which animals collapsed or showed signs of exhaustion.
Public pressure intensified after comedian Alejandro Riaño backed a crowdfunding campaign in 2021 that raised more than $25,000 to build an electric vehicle styled like a traditional buggy; that prototype was trialed on Cartagena streets in 2023. Corpoturismo, the city tourism agency, and municipal officials framed a move to electric carriages as both an animal-welfare measure and an adaptation to changing tourist expectations. At the same time, cart owners and long-time drivers have emphasized cultural continuity, arguing the buggies constitute living heritage similar to the city’s colonial walls.
Main Event
After years of protests and public debate, Cartagena’s government announced that traditional horse-drawn buggies will be phased out and replaced by a fleet of 62 electric carriages imported from China. The vehicles are designed with large-spoked wheels and open tops to resemble the traditional models, but are powered by batteries that the city says provide roughly 70 km (43 miles) of range per charge. The program includes investment in a warehouse with a solar-powered charging station and logistics to maintain the fleet.
City officials, led by Mayor Domek Turbay, say the change is driven by animal-welfare concerns and by a desire to present Cartagena as a modern global destination. Corpoturismo’s director Liliana Rodriguez described the shift as an example other cities could replicate and emphasized the program’s renewable-energy components. The municipal plan also foresees a period in which tourists can ride the new electric carriages for free for two months to encourage adoption.
Cart owners and drivers have reacted angrily. Owners say they were not given written compensation offers and that verbal proposals — reportedly including a one-time $10,000 payment for a carriage — fall far short of replacing multi-decade investments or matching daily earnings reported by some owners of about $150. Some carriage drivers say they will apply to drive the electric vehicles, while others say the tourist experience will be diminished without horses. Cart owners have threatened legal action over what they describe as an abrupt exclusion from negotiations.
Analysis & Implications
The Cartagena decision sits at the intersection of heritage preservation, animal welfare, urban tourism economics and labor transition. For animal-rights advocates and many visitors, removing horses from hot, crowded, paved streets reduces risks of injury and exhaustion; documented collapses and visible distress have focused public attention. Replacing animals with battery-powered vehicles addresses those welfare concerns while allowing a carriage-like tourist service to continue.
Economically, the change poses a redistribution of revenue and risk. Cart owners who report earnings of around $150 per day face immediate asset stranding if buyout terms are inadequate. The city’s reported $2 million investment covers procurement and infrastructure, but does not by itself guarantee fair compensation or job continuity for independent owners; effective transition will require clear, written offers, training, and participatory governance mechanisms to avoid litigation and social conflict.
Environmentally, the program’s sustainability depends on how the electricity is sourced and on vehicle lifecycle impacts. The municipality’s plan to charge batteries with solar energy improves the emissions profile, but operational realities — maintenance costs, battery replacement cycles, and reliance on imported vehicles and parts — could alter net benefits. The decision also sets a policy precedent; if Cartagena’s rollout is perceived as successful, other heritage cities using horse-drawn transport may face stronger pressure to adopt electric alternatives.
Comparison & Data
| Feature | Horse Carriage | Electric Buggy |
|---|---|---|
| Typical range/endurance | Dependent on animal condition and rest cycles | About 70 km (43 miles) per battery charge |
| Operating considerations | Animal welfare, veterinary care, stress from city traffic | Battery charging, maintenance, parts supply, solar charging planned |
| Reported owner revenue | Around $150 per day (owner-reported) | Not yet established; city proposes profit-sharing options |
| Program scale | Longstanding, many privately owned carriages | Fleet of 62 vehicles, ~ $2 million municipal investment |
The table highlights trade-offs: electric buggies offer a predictable operating range and avoid direct animal welfare harms, while horses provide an embodied cultural experience and a private-source livelihood. Key unknowns include per-vehicle operating costs for the electric fleet and the concrete terms for integrating existing owners and drivers into the new system.
Reactions & Quotes
Cart drivers and owners emphasize heritage and livelihood risks while city officials stress welfare and modernization.
“It’s very sad. We are part of this city’s heritage, like the walls that surround it.”
Cristian Munoz, long-time carriage driver
Munoz framed the ban as an erasure of living tradition; he and other drivers warned that the streets will lose a defining sensory element if horses are removed. Some drivers say they will seek employment operating the new vehicles, but skepticism about tourism demand and hiring processes remains.
“We are not against a transition. But we need to know how we will be included.”
Miguel Angel Cortez, carriage owner
Cortez, who says his two carriages make about $150 a day, criticized the lack of written compensation offers and pressed for clearer guarantees. Owners described only informal meetings and verbal proposals so far, and several have threatened legal action if concrete terms are not provided.
“We have shown there is the technology now to do things differently.”
Alejandro Riaño, campaigner and comedian
Riaño’s crowdfunding-backed prototype and public campaign played a visible role in shifting public opinion; municipal officials cite such demonstrations as evidence that an alternative is feasible without erasing the carriage-style tourist experience.
Unconfirmed
- No formal, signed written compensation offers have been publicly released by the municipal government; reported figures such as a $10,000 payment remain described by owners as verbal and unfinalized.
- The city states batteries will be solar-charged, but the capacity of the warehouse solar system to fully meet daily fleet energy needs has not been published.
Bottom Line
Cartagena’s decision to ban horse-drawn buggies and introduce 62 electric carriages on December 29 is a clear effort to resolve longstanding animal-welfare concerns while maintaining a carriage-style tourist product. The move balances visible tourist continuity with an aim to modernize transport and reduce animal suffering, but success depends on implementation details: fair compensation, transparent hiring/training for drivers, and reliable maintenance and energy infrastructure for the fleet.
Key items to watch in the coming months are whether the municipal government issues formal written compensation and profit-sharing agreements, how many current drivers are absorbed into the new operation, and early passenger uptake of electric carriages during the city’s promotional free-ride period. Cartagena’s rollout could become a model — or a cautionary example — for other cities confronting similar heritage-versus-welfare trade-offs.