Kolkata’s plan to introduce five battery-powered e-carriages this winter and phase out Victorian horse carriages has triggered opposition from carriage owners, even as animal rights organisations welcome the move as a safer alternative for horses and operators.
The transition follows an announcement by state minister Agnimitra Paul on Sunday. PETA India and CAPE Foundation, which have campaigned for the removal of horse carriages in Kolkata for the past five years, said the heritage-style e-carriages could protect animal welfare while preserving tourist rides.
PETA India policy associate Chumki Dutta described the proposed vehicles as a solution for “horse and human welfare and safety”. She said Mumbai had already transitioned to e-carriages and that former horse-carriage owners there had reported improved earnings and greater tourist interest. The organisations had brought a battery-operated carriage from Mumbai to Kolkata in 2022 to demonstrate the alternative to carriage owners.
CAPE Foundation managing trustee Radhika Bose said horses should be retired to sanctuaries, while former horse owners should receive a modernised and safer means of livelihood. PETA India and CAPE Foundation had approached the Calcutta High Court in December 2021 over the use of sick and feeble horses for tourist rides.
The proposal, however, faces resistance from owners who question whether electric vehicles can reproduce the cultural and commercial appeal of horse-drawn carriages. Kidderpore-based carriage owner Qaiyum Ali, who operates two carriages and owns six horses, said visitors travel from across the country to experience heritage carriage rides. He also raised doubts about whether e-carriages would attract tourists in the same way.
Another owner, Md Feroz, pointed to the use of horse carriages in processions, weddings and other occasions. His comments underline that the vehicles are not limited to a single tourism circuit but also form part of a wider event-based livelihood network.
The dispute therefore extends beyond a change in vehicle technology. It involves the future of a visible heritage activity, the treatment and retirement of working animals, and the question of how owners will be supported if the existing system is withdrawn. The state’s plan currently specifies the introduction of five battery-operated carriages, but the report does not establish a broader rollout schedule, compensation framework or operating rules for existing owners.
Kolkata has attempted to replace traditional transport practices before. A phase-out effort targeting hand-pulled rickshaws by the then Left Front government in 2005 failed. That earlier experience is now part of the background to the horse-carriage transition, particularly because the current proposal also requires authorities to balance cultural identity, livelihoods and public policy.
The immediate next step is the proposed introduction of five e-carriages during the winter. The response of carriage owners and the details of any rehabilitation, transition or livelihood-support plan will determine how the state directive is implemented.
