Due to European legislation horse-drawn carriage rides in Bruges are being opened up to foreign competition. At present around seven families run horse-drawn carriage rides for tourists in the heart of one of our busiest tourist destinations, but now the rides are being opened up to foreign competition. This means that the Bruges families that have been running the rides for years, sometimes even for decades, will have to see off competition from rivals from across the EU.
By Thursday applications for licences for the next 10 years need to be filed and, for the first time, candidates from elsewhere in the EU are allowed to apply.
A total of 13 permits are up for grabs. To decide who gets how many - some operators have 2 or 3 permits - the city authorities are using a points system. Several factors are being taken into account. These include animal welfare but also good infrastructure and high-quality carriages. Whoever gets the best score will get the number of permits he or she asked for, with a maximum of 3. Subsequent permits will be awarded to the next-ranked candidates. In case of an equal score for the last permit or permits, a draw will take place under the supervision of a bailiff.
Bruges coachmen already have one advantage. Operators with experience of tours in a city like Bruges can score 30 points out of a possible 100.
Guarantees quality
The new system is making some coachmen nervous. But others are more positive. Mark Wentein, the spokesman for Bruges coachmen, thinks the approach could guarantee high-quality tours. ‘It is an opportunity to screen the existing operators,’ he says. ‘Are they still abiding by all the rules, e.g. European rules around animal welfare for example? Do they have manure bank licences and are they disposing of their animals' manure in a sustainable way? It is the opportunity to take a look at all these issues and select decent “horse folk”."
It is not yet clear when the future operators will be announced. That will probably take about two months.