Horse carriages set to be banned from Melbourne CBD

Horse-drawn carriages could soon be banned from Melbourne’s CBD because of a change in road rules.

The controversial tourist attraction has attracted an increasing backlash in recent years due to animal welfare concerns.

This was heightened in March when a horse dropped dead on a North Melbourne street after being attached to a carriage.

Now, the state government has proposed to rewrite the city’s road rules in order for the practice to be banned within the CBD.

The impacted area is expected to be the entire Hoddle Grid and will come into effect in 2022 at the earliest.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said any potential changes would be deliberated and the practice could still be able to take place in other parts of the City of Melbourne.

“We look forward to ongoing consultation with operators and key stakeholders to ensure horse drawn carriages operate in lower risk areas,” she said.

“We know that road and footpath space in the Hoddle Grid is at a premium, which is why we need to keep people moving as best we can.”