SANTO DOMINGO.– The Santiago de los Caballeros City Hall presented this week the project “Tourist Carriages: tradition, welfare and protection”, an initiative that seeks to reorganize and preserve the city's historic horse-drawn carriage system under criteria of animal welfare, urban regulation and strengthening of cultural tourism.
The proposal comes at a time when the use of tourist carriages continues to be one of the most representative images of the Heart City, but has also generated debates related to the conditions of the animals, the organization of the service and the social situation of the coachmen.
The project was presented by Iris Cepín de Rodríguez, wife of Mayor Ulises Rodríguez, who explained that the intention is to preserve a historical tradition of the city, adapting it to new social and environmental demands.
“The Santiago cars are not just a horse, a car and a man; they are part of our cultural identity and form part of our history,” he said during the presentation.
The plan includes regulated routes and veterinary supervision
According to information provided by the Santiago City Hall, the initiative includes the implementation of authorized routes, regulated schedules, training programs for carriage drivers, and constant veterinary supervision.
The project also establishes sanctions for possible cases of animal abuse and provides mechanisms aimed at transforming the activity into a more organized and sustainable tourism model.
Municipal authorities indicated that the proposal has a multidisciplinary team made up of specialists in the legal, veterinary, urban planning, sustainability and environmental fields.
They are seeking to reduce the physical exertion of the horses
Deputy Mayor Mariana Moreno explained that one of the main objectives is to achieve a balance between preserving tradition and providing better conditions for the animals used in tourist tours.
As he explained, the plan includes shorter routes, reorganized schedules, and the incorporation of motors or electronic support systems to reduce the physical effort of the horses.
“We want to keep this tradition alive, but under more humane and responsible conditions,” Moreno said, stating that the proposal does not seek to eliminate tourist cars, but to transform the way they operate.
Veterinarian Horacio Ceballos also reported that a first animal care operation has already been carried out in the Bella Vista sector, where more than 20 horses received vitamins and dewormers with the support of veterinary pharmaceutical companies.
Ceballos added that the project includes special schedules to prevent the animals from working during periods of high temperatures, prioritizing routes during cooler hours of the day.
The initiative also includes social support for coachmen
In addition to the animal and tourism component, the project incorporates measures aimed at the coachmen and their families, many of whom face economic difficulties and health problems, according to municipal authorities.
In that regard, the deputy mayor noted that the city council is working with the Coachmen's Association and medical centers such as the Bella Vista hospital to offer comprehensive assistance.
Representatives from the tourism sector, urban planners, veterinarians, and members of entities linked to the cultural and urban development of Santiago de los Caballeros participated in the activity, including VISIT Santiago and the Santiago Tourism Cluster.
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