A carriage accident caused dramatic scenes in downtown Vienna on Wednesday afternoon. Around 5 PM, two horses of a carriage bolted and ran through Rotenturmstraße. In Ertlgasse, they eventually collided with a fountain along with the carriage. Both animals fell to the ground and then tried to get back up. The incident was first reported by the daily newspaper „Heute,“ citing a reader reporter. The Association Against Animal Factories (VGT) released further information on Thursday and renewed its call for an end to carriage rides in Vienna.

According to VGT, a video published by „Heute“ shows the two horses running through Rotenturmstraße and eventually crashing into the fountain in Ertlgasse. The collision caused the animals to fall to the ground along with the carriage.

The horses then tried to get back on their feet but were initially restricted by the harness. The Vienna professional fire brigade was called to the accident site and, according to VGT, responded with three emergency vehicles and a total of 16 personnel. Both horses were injured in the incident. The emergency services righted the overturned carriage and were able to leave after about 30 minutes.

An eyewitness reported to the animal protection association that the carriage brake had not been applied. Whether this played a role in the accident cannot be deduced from the account.

The Association Against Animal Factories reacted with sharp criticism to the incident. VGT Vice Chairman and carriage campaigner Georg Prinz sees it as a confirmation of the association’s long-standing warnings about the risks of horse-drawn carriages in city traffic.

„Horses have no place in road traffic!“ declared Prinz in a statement. Horses are sensitive flight animals that can be startled and thereby endanger both themselves and people around them.

The association is particularly concerned about the accident location in the middle of the busy city center. Therefore, the VGT calls on Vienna’s Animal Protection City Councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky (SPÖ) to take action and end the horse-drawn carriage operations in Vienna.

The accident is likely to reignite the debate about the use of horse-drawn carriages in Vienna’s city traffic. The VGT refers to a list of previous horse-drawn carriage accidents it has compiled and sees such incidents as a fundamental safety risk.

In addition to the VGT, the animal protection organization Pfotenhilfe also spoke out. Managing Director Johanna Stadler criticized the use of horses in urban traffic and called on Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig to take consequences from the accident. The organization sees horse-drawn carriages as a safety risk for animals, passengers, and pedestrians.

The current accident occurred in a heavily frequented area of Vienna’s city center, where pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users are present. The collision in Ertlgasse shows the consequences that can occur when horses get out of control in traffic.

With its demand for a ban on horse-drawn carriages, the VGT links the protection of animals with the safety of pedestrians. The debate about the future of traditional horse-drawn carriages in Vienna is given new impetus by the incident.

(Red)

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