Mumbai - Mumbai’s ornate horse-drawn carriages are nearing the end of the road after a court in the Indian city ruled them illegal.
The silver-coloured Victorias – styled on open carriages used during Queen Victoria’s reign – have been plying Mumbai’s streets since British colonial times and have been a tourist attraction.
But this week the Bombay High Court agreed with animal welfare groups, which had petitioned for a ban, citing poor treatment of the horses and saying that the practice was cruel.
All operators in the city are now expected to wind down operations in the next 12 months.
“We hold that the use of horse-driven carriages… for joy rides is illegal,” read the court verdict.
It ordered the city authorities to “ensure that the use of such horse-driven carriages… shall be stopped on expiry of a period of one year from today”.
The court also ruled that all related stables must be closed and directed local authorities to come up with a scheme to help the estimated 700 people involved in the trade. The jazzy carriages were once a mode of transport for the wealthy, but they now carry tourists around the historic Colaba district and Marine Drive promenade.
They are often seen outside the luxury Taj Mahal Palace hotel and Gateway of India monument and have appeared in several Bollywood movies.
But concerns over unlicensed stables and poor treatment of the horses saw the Animals and Birds Charitable Trust, with the support of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India, lodge a case.
Peta claimed the horses were often malnourished, denied adequate rest or veterinary care and were forced to stand in their own waste in sub-standard stables.
Daily Mail