Cartagena’s iconic horse carriages give way to electric buggies : NPR

CARTAGENA, Colombia — Cartagena is located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and has been one of the country's most beloved destinations for decades.

Its historic center is surrounded by thick stone walls, built by the Spanish to protect against pirates. Inside, narrow streets wind past sun-drenched plazas and colonial mansions—a cityscape straight out of a movie.

The city is also famous for the horse-drawn carriages that carry tourists through its streets; their large-spoked wheels clatter on the pavement, and the open top is perfect for snapping shots of Cartagena's charm.

But soon romantic buggies will be outlawed by the city authorities. The company wants to replace them with electric vehicles due to animal welfare concerns.

The move has angered horse-drawn carriage owners and traditionalists, pitting them against animal rights activists and local officials who say there should be no place for horse-drawn carriages in a city that wants to position itself as a global destination.

“It's very sad,” says Christian Muñoz, one of Cartagena's traditional horse-drawn cart drivers. “We are part of the heritage of this city, as are the walls that surround it.”

Tourists visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site say horse-drawn carriages are a fun way to get around in Cartagena's sweltering heat. And many appreciate the way drivers tell the story of the colonial city.

But animal rights advocates have long argued that these joy rides are terrible for horses pulling carriages because the cars on city roads tire out the horses. And the pavement hurts the horses' knees and hurts their legs.

Fanny Pachon, a local animal rights activist, said on several occasions the horses collapsed from exhaustion.

“Horses are beasts of burden and are designed to carry things,” she admits. “But they should be in a rural area, not in a city center with paved roads.”

Alejandro Riaño, a popular comedian from Bogota, has been lobbying the Cartagena government for the past four years to replace horse-drawn carriages.

In 2021, he raised more than $25,000 on a crowdfunding platform to create an electric vehicle that resembles a traditional carriage but is battery-powered. The prototype was tested on the city streets two years ago.

“We have shown that there is now technology to do things differently,” he said.

After years of protests, the city finally sided with Riaño and animal rights activists.

On December 29, traditional horse-drawn carriages will be banned and replaced by a fleet of 62 electric cars imported from China as part of a joint venture between the Cartagena city government and the Corpoturismo agency, which promotes tourism in the city.

The new cars have large wheels and an open top, just like traditional buggies. But they are powered by large batteries that last about 70 km (43 miles) on a single charge.

Instead of reins, the driver has a steering wheel in front. The new carts also come with speakers that can be used to play music or play the sound of a horse galloping.

Liliana Rodriguez, director of Corpoturismo, says this new fleet of carriages could inspire other cities where horse-drawn carriages are still used.

She said Cartagena's carts will also be environmentally friendly as their batteries will be charged by solar energy.

“New generations demand such changes,” she said.

The city is investing about $2 million in a new fleet of electric carts and a warehouse equipped with a solar-powered charging station.

But Cartagena's horse-drawn carriage owners are worried.

They say the city government is pushing them out of a business they spent decades building.

“We don't mind the transition,” said Miguel Angel Cortes, owner of two carts that earn about $150 a day. “But we need to know how we will be included.”

The cart owners said they had not received any written proposals from the city government. But they had been to meetings where there was talk of paying $10,000 in travel compensation. Cart owners say they are unlikely to be able to recoup their losses.

Cartagena Mayor Domec Turbay accuses cart owners of “sabotaging” the negotiations. He says the municipal government is willing to share profits from the new electric vehicles with horse-drawn carriage owners. But so far there has been no agreement between both parties, and the cart owners have threatened to sue the city government for putting them out of work.

“I have a feeling they're trying to take advantage of the situation,” Mayor Turbay told NPR.

Turbay says tourists will be able to ride the city's new electric cars for free for the next two months.

And some of the carriage drivers currently employed by bogie owners admit they will be applying for jobs as drivers of the new electric buggies.

But others wonder whether tourists will want to ride in electric cars, even if they resemble 19th-century carriages.

“People come to Cartagena for the tradition,” says cart driver Christian Muñoz. “It’s not the same without horses.”