A European first: Brussels expects the first horseless carriages this summer
This summer, Brussels will introduce three electric horseless carriages, the first of their kind in Europe, Bruzz reports.
The initiative is being launched by the Well Done Company, which previously operated horse-drawn carriages. In the wake of recent debates about the welfare of horses, entrepreneur Thibault Danthine looked for an alternative.
"We didn't stop using horses because it didn't work, as there was a great demand for the rides. We stopped for other reasons," he said. "One was the difficulty sometimes of finding a suitable place for the animals to stay. Then, there was the debate about animal welfare. Finally, it was a challenge to find staff who could handle horses."
"We were looking for something modern that didn't exist elsewhere"
Well Done Company took the idea of horseless carriages to the city council. "We were looking for something modern that didn't exist elsewhere," said councillor Fabien Maingain of Défi. And so, the decision to use electric carriages, which Maingain says are not used anywhere else in Europe, was made.
"I am delighted that we will be able to continue doing what we love for another 10 years," says Danthine. "Without the horses, it will be much easier for me."
Over the next few months, he will ensure the carriages will be up and running in the city by summer. The horses to be replaced by electric motors - Aki, Vegas, Luka and Aico - were retired last summer.
© PHOTO BELPRESS
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