Horse Carriage Operators Celebrate an Early Victory
In a wake of an impending ban proposal on horse-drawn carriages in San Antonio, the city’s carriage operators have managed to notch up an early victory. In a meeting held on Wednesday, the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB), consisting of council appointees, cast a unanimous vote in favor of the horse carriage operators.
The city governance was mulling over a complete ban or a possible relocation of the horse-drawn carriages from downtown. An option that carriage operators argued would deal a fatal blow to their businesses. However, the overwhelming display of support from TAB has rekindled hope amongst the carriage operators.
An Advisory Vote with Potential Influence
Although the TAB’s power is limited to making recommendations and doesn’t hold authority to demand action from the city council, their backing may significantly influence the decision-making process. Notably, the city council had not sought TAB’s viewpoint on the proposed ban. The item only made it into the meeting agenda chiefly due to the lobbying of the carriage companies.
Still, Stephanie Garcia, the owner of Yellow Rose and HRH Carriage Companies, remains hopeful that TAB’s recommendation will carry some heft. “These people know what goes on downtown and to just ignore what’s gone on today with the vote would just be ridiculous,” Garcia commented.
Phase-Out Proposal: Over 1.5 Years in the Making
The proposal to phase out horse-drawn carriages had been in the pipeline for over a year and a half. It all started with a council consideration request (CCR) filed by Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and Phyllis Viagran in November 2022. The duo had asked the city staff to develop a plan to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages while proposing a transition program for the carriage workforce to switch over to pedicabs and electric carriages by the end of 2023.
The proposal, however, did not progress at the expected pace. Attendees had to wait more than 16 months for it to make its way to the Governance Committee – the first requisite step for any CCR. As a result, the issue has now been placed with the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, which is expected to deliberate on the proposal in its June meeting.
The Carriage Conundrum
The arguments backing the proposed ban revolves predominantly around animal welfare issues and safety concerns surrounding the increasingly congested downtown streets. Operators have been fervently rejecting allegations of animal mistreatment and have expressed a willingness to compromise on congestion-related problems by reducing their operating hours, including all daytime shifts, Monday through Friday.
Several carriage operators expressed frustration about the lack of communication from the city. According to Garcia, only Councilman John Courage, the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has interacted with the carriers. Following TAB’s vote on Wednesday, neither McKee-Rodriguez nor Viagran’s offices offered any comments on the board’s recommendation.
