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Cozumel proposes replacing horse for electric carriages

Cozumel, Q.R. — Businesses in Cozumel have made a proposal to replace the horse and carriage with old-tyme motorized cars.

Concessionaires of the carriage service on the island of Cozumel held a meeting with the Municipal President, Pedro Joaquín Delbouis to present the project to use electric cars and thus comply with the state’s newly passed Animal Welfare Law.

Concessionaire José Julio Azcorra Rejón says that to exchange the horse and carriage for electric cars is a large investment, money the horsemen do not have. He says each electric carriage would cost around half a million peso, explaining that the idea came from the city of Guadalajara where horses were traded for the elegant cars.

Azcorra Rejón explained that in that case, the government of Guadalajara provided the vehicles in exchange for the horses, adding that in Cozumel, there are 16 concessioned horsemen that offer the horse-drawn carriage service.

Talks are pending.

In 2016, a pilot program was created to modernize the tourist transport for Guadalajara and tend to the horses in poor condition, which the government says, presented diseases due to overwork, which led to accidents such as fainting, dehydration and falls during rides.

Approximately 110 horses were put under the protection of the government who routinely checked on the animals for feeding, exercise and veterinary care. In May of 2018, the first five horseless carriages began to circulate, generating higher incomes than anticipated. Another 55 carriages are set for manufacturing during 2019.