Philadelphia’s days of clip-clopping carriage tours through Center City may be numbered. City Council has advanced an amended ordinance that would outlaw horse-drawn carriages across the city, covering both commercial and noncommercial rides. The updated bill cleared a key procedural hurdle and is now slated for a final vote at Council’s last meeting before the summer recess, a move that could shut down routine carriage operations after decades of debate over animal welfare and public safety.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, councilmembers unanimously backed a committee amendment that broadened the proposal, which Councilmember Mark Squilla introduced in May. Animal-rights advocates had pushed for the revision after reports of carriage rides in Center City and on South Street that appeared to be noncommercial and would not have been covered under the original language. The Inquirer reports that the vote placed the updated measure on Council’s final-passage calendar for next week.
What the ordinance would do
Bill No. 260465, as listed in City Council records, would make it illegal to offer the commercial services of a horse to pull any carriage, sleigh, wagon or similar vehicle, and it lays out penalties for those who do. The proposal also updates licensing rules, veterinary exam requirements and recordkeeping in the city’s animal code. See the bill text for full details on how the city would enforce the changes.
Advocates pushed for broader language
“Not a harmless tourist attraction,” is how Tiffany Stair, co-founder of the animal-rights group Revolution Philadelphia, described the rides, arguing that carriage horses endure long shifts on crowded, noisy streets. Janet White of Carriage Horse Freedom told councilmembers she had personally seen people giving what appeared to be noncommercial carriage rides that the earlier draft would have left untouched. Those statements were reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Horseless carriages get a trial run
Supporters of the ban are not trying to scrap the tourist experience entirely, just the horses. Advocates and several councilmembers have promoted battery-powered “horseless” carriages as a kinder alternative, and prototypes were test-driven in 2024 during local demonstrations. CBS Philadelphia covered the pilot rides, while KYW Newsradio reports that Councilmember Squilla has said he supports exploring e-carriages as officials work through state and city regulatory questions.
A checkered local history
The horse-drawn carriage business has had a rocky run in Philadelphia. A 2017 emergency injunction and settlement effectively put Philadelphia Carriage Co. out of operation over building-code violations and animal-welfare issues, according to PhillyVoice. The city’s last regular carriage operator cleared out its stables in early 2023 and did not restart routine tours afterward, local television reported at the time. 6abc chronicled the disruption and relocation notices in 2023…