A ban on carts in Romania is a poor solution to accidents between motor vehicles and horse-drawn carts.
Horses are still used in farming and transportation in rural areas of Eastern Europe, including in Romania, where carts have been banned from traveling on roads used by cars. Many villagers depend upon their horse-drawn carts for their livelihoods, just as their families have for hundreds of years.
Besides villagers, another segment of the population that would be affected by a ban on horse-drawn carts are the Roma, who are one of the poorest and underserved groups of people in Romania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. The Roma are already discriminated against by government officials and city administrators - the ban on horse-drawn carts could be used as an additional way to harrass members of the Roma community.
While carts have been blamed for accidents on roads, it is more likely that drivers of motor vehicles are to blame. Seat belt and speed laws are even less respected than they are in the West, and owners of cars often feel that their ability to afford vehicles gives them rights that individuals without cars do not have.
Enforcing driving laws, maintaining roads and signage, and educating both cart and motor vehicle operators about how to stay alert and make themselves more visible to others are better solutions to traffic problems in Romania.
