For better or worse – the Indian city of Mumbai is preparing to bid goodbye to one of its icons. The city’s ornate horse-drawn carriages are nearing the end of the road after a court in the Indian city ruled them illegal. The silver-colored Victorias – styled on open carriages used during Queen Victoria’s reign – have been plying Mumbai’s streets since British colonial times, and for years have been a tourist attraction. But recently, the Bombay High Court agreed with animal welfare groups, who had petitioned for a ban citing poor treatment of the horses, that the practice was cruel.
The jazzy carriages were once a mode of transport for former Bombay’s wealthy classes, but they now carry tourists around the historic Colaba district and Marine Drive promenade in the south of the city. Concerns over unlicensed stables and poor treatment of the horses saw the Animals and Birds Charitable Trust, with the support of PETA India, lodge a case in Mumbai’s top court. PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, had 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.
The debate is mostly between the vehicles’ not contributing to public transport and the livelihood of people who build/operate these carriages. While the argument can swing either way, the city stands minus an eponymous icon.
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