The end of the horse?

The labour disputes in Dublin have led to a sharp rise in the number of companies using motor lorries to convey their goods. Too many drivers of horse drawn vehicles were directly or indirectly involved in the strike forcing business owners to follow a path to modernity. The rise in motor vehicles has also happened in London but this has been the product of a desire to embrace modern technology rather than to avoid the effects of industrial unrest.

Whatever the reasons, the figures are startling. Last year in London only 2,385 horse drawn cabs remained compared to the 7,969 motor cars that are registered to work the city's streets. Only 376 horse drawn buses remain compared to the 2,908 motor driven buses. It is striking that whole the motor engine seems to be heralding the end of the horse drawn public vehicle, there is a downside. During the year 331 pedestrians were killed in when hit by motor vehicles. This figure comprises the majority of all those dying on the city's roads. So while the horse may be passing into history there may be a price to pay in terms of road safety.