Cozumel, Q.R. — Police in Cozumel are putting a forceful stop to the use of horse-drawn carriages which has been illegal in the state for years. On Wednesday, island officers took to the streets where they rounded up the illegal carriages and their drivers.
Elements of the Transit sub-directorate joined the Wednesday morning operation, enforcing what is established by the state law for animal protection and welfare that prevents the horse-drawn carriages from providing tourist services.
On Thursday, Cozumel Police reported on the May 10 sweep by San Miguel officers, which was carried out on Rafael E. Melgar Avenue from Playa Casitas to Puerta Maya.
Officers enforced Article 40 of the state’s law of protection and animal welfare which includes a prohibition for animal-pulled vehicles to circulate on city streets.
In their report, Cozumel Police said the law came into force years ago, which is why “during this operation they took on the task of stopping the operation of the carriages located on the main avenue of the municipality.”
For the May 10 operation, the Public Security Directorate assigned six units and 14 officers who escorted the carriages to the corral where they were left and the horses removed by their operators and returned to their stables.
In 2019, the state of Quintana Roo passed a law that prohibited the use of horse and carriages for tourist purposes. In 2022, Cozumel’s first electric carriage was put into use to transport tourists in place of the outlawed horse and carriage option.
