Da Lat officially bans horse-drawn carriages around Xuan Huong Lake.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Cu, Head of the Economic Department of Da Lat City, said that the People's Committee of Da Lat City has just issued a document assigning the Urban Management Department to coordinate with the Da Lat City Police to put up signs prohibiting horse-drawn carriages from operating around Xuan Huong Lake starting from February 25th.

Horse-drawn carriages carry tourists on sightseeing tours of Xuan Huong Lake. Photo: Lam Vien.

Previously, the Da Lat Economic Department chaired a meeting with the Urban Management Department, the Culture and Sports Department, and representatives from the People's Committees of Wards 1, 8, and 10 (Da Lat City) regarding the operation of horse-drawn carriages transporting passengers around Xuan Huong Lake, which was deemed illegal due to lack of business registration, price listing, accounting of income and expenses, and failure to pay taxes to the state authorities.

This activity poses a potential traffic safety risk; the vehicle carries many people but lacks traffic safety warning systems, and the passengers are lined up lengthwise, affecting other vehicles.

Tourists enjoy the experience of riding in horse-drawn carriages around Xuan Huong Lake. Photo: Lam Vien.

On the other hand, horse-drawn carriages cause the spread of unpleasant odors, affecting households in the surrounding area; residents frequently complain about the carriage stop on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street. Therefore, ending the operation of horse-drawn carriage passenger transport at Xuan Huong Lake is necessary to ensure traffic safety, environmental hygiene, and local security and order.

According to the Da Lat City Economic Department, there are approximately 30 horse-drawn carriages operating spontaneously around Xuan Huong Lake. One person, Mr. Nguyen Viet Dong (residing on Bui Thi Xuan Street, Ward 8, Da Lat City), acts as the sole representative for all 30 carriages. The carriage owners collect fares by agreement with passengers, ranging from 80,000 to 100,000 VND per person. The transportation prices are not publicly displayed, there are no accounting records, no business registration, and no tax payments to the state authorities. There are two operating routes: one from the Cach Mang Thang Tam parking lot to the Labor Culture House roundabout and vice versa; and the second from the Cach Mang Thang Tam parking lot to the beginning of Dinh Thien Hoang and Tran Quoc Toan streets (pedal boat dock) and vice versa.

Horse-drawn carriage transportation around Xuan Huong Lake has been a long-established practice. Photo: Lam Vien

The document from the Da Lat City People's Committee instructs the Urban Management Department to coordinate with relevant units to study current regulations on planning wharves, parking areas, and operating routes for horse-drawn carriage passenger transport services, with the aim of relocating them to the road around Tuyen Lam Lake, within the Tuyen Lam Lake National Tourist Area.

The Department of Finance and Planning is tasked with researching and providing guidance on the types of activities conducted under the cooperative and cooperative group model, ensuring proper management in accordance with the law when relocating operations.

Horse-drawn carriages are a unique tourist attraction that sets Da Lat apart for visitors. Photo: Lam Vien

As Thanh Nien newspaper previously reported, horse-drawn carriage transportation around Xuan Huong Lake has been a long-standing practice. This activity attracts many tourists who come to visit and experience the romantic beauty around Xuan Huong Lake. It is a unique tourism product that creates a distinctive feature of Da Lat for visitors.

Thus, after suspending boat tours on Tuyen Lam Lake, pedal boats on Xuan Huong Lake, and electric vehicles transporting tourists, now horse-drawn carriages serving tourists around Xuan Huong Lake have also been suspended.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/da-lat-chinh-thuc-cam-xe-ngua-quanh-ho-xuan-huong-243920.html