09/10/2026
A horse-drawn carriage collided with a car yesterday on Via Roma, in the centre of Palermo. The impact occurred near Via Bara all’Olivella, in the lane heading towards Piazza Sturzo. According to local press reports, both drivers were unhurt, while the horse suffered some minor injuries. The municipal police managed the traffic, which was gridlocked for several minutes.
A familiar scene
This is not the first time Via Roma has been the setting for incidents of this kind. In May 2023, a horse pulling a carriage bolted into traffic and struck two cars, injuring several people. Last May, another tourist carriage was involved in an accident in the historic centre: checks ordered by the relevant city department found irregularities in its paperwork, and administrative fines were imposed.
What the City Council decided
On 24 July, Palermo City Council unanimously approved an amendment to Article 40 of the regulations governing public horse-drawn carriage services. The measure begins the gradual replacement of horse-drawn carriages with fully electric vehicles.
The amendment does not abolish the service immediately. It tasks the city administration with approving a conversion plan, to be drawn up with the trade associations, within 180 days of the rule coming into force. The plan must set out timelines, requirements for the new vehicles, financial support measures and a transition period for operators. According to the City of Palermo, current licence holders will be given one year to comply, and no new licences for horse-drawn carriages will be issued.
“The July vote recognised that horses do not belong among cars,” says Sonny Richichi, President of IHP Italian Horse Protection. “What we need now is a firm timetable. We are asking the City to approve the plan without waiting until the last possible day, and to back it with a definitive ban on horse-drawn carriages. We are also asking for clear guarantees on the future of every horse that leaves the service: none of them must end up being exploited elsewhere.” Read also 37 degrees in Pisa. The horses work. The regulation does not allow intervention. In Palermo, the city council is arguing over horse-drawn carriages. The horses are waiting.