Cruelty-Free Victoria Carriage Rides Launch In Mumbai

When the government banned horse-drawn Victoria carriages in Mumbai four years ago, it was a big win for animal welfare. Now, a company is bringing those rides back – but in a cruelty-free avatar.

Ubo Ridez, a transportation company, has to introduced horseless battery-operated carriages that will take tourists around heritage spots in South Mumbai, including Nariman Point, Colaba, Marine Drive, CST and Girgaum Chowpatty.

Ketan Kadam, the founder of the company, says that the carriages are just like the older horse-drawn versions, minus the horses themselves.  They will run at a speed of 20 km an hour and come equipped with GPS-driven audio, as well as Bluetooth (if you’re in the mood for music). The carriages are also environment-friendly, using lithium ion batteries instead of lead ones.

Ubo Ridez will be employing the same people who were rendered jobless when the ban came into effect. The ban came about in 2015 when animal rights groups filed a petition, highlighting how the horses were often malnourished and denied proper care and rest. The Mumbai High Court then banned the use of horse-drawn carriages, stating that the rides were illegal and “violative of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” adding that “The activity of using horse-driven carriages only for joyrides solely for human pleasure is an avoidable activity.”

Rides can be booked on the spot at the locations mentioned.  

_{*Image courtesy CN Traveller India}

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