Electric buses will appear on the route to Morskie Oko. Highlanders defend tradition, but activists do not give up

There is no dispute over horses carrying tourists on the route to Morskie Oko in the Tatra Mountains. The Podhale Association issued a statement in this matter.

– worrying that the values ​​of our tradition that are familiar with people are not wasted – says Andrzej Skupień, Tatra staroste and member of the Podhale Union.

The relationship opposes the replacement of horse transport with electric buses. He explains that horses on the road to Morskie Oko are part of the Tatra tradition and culture, and animals live in very good conditions. – Well, we want this path to be this showcase – says Andrzej Skupień.

Activists do not agree with the highlanders, among others from the Viva Foundation! – All these arguments that horses is a tradition that this is an element of Podhale's culture. All this can be put in between fairy tales – comments Anna Płokyk from the Viva Foundation!

According to Anna, horses pulling highlander beans with tourists work too much and too hard. – Any tradition that is associated with suffering, whether people or animals, should be sent to a shameful history. (…) This should disappear from the Podhale landscape. And I hope it will disappear – says Anna Płokyk.

Read also: They defend the horse business over Morskie Oko. According to them, the animals are doing well

The dispute over horses on the road to Morskie Oko has been going on since May last year. – Well, rather, if we can use meleks, such as electric vehicles, it's more than tired of horses – says Przemysław, a tourist from Łódź. – This is a massacre when I see how these horses get tired – says Mr. Mariusz, a tourist from Zabrze.

Activists appealed to withdraw rides and replace animals with electric buses. New vehicles, as part of the tests, went on the route in June. In December, the Ministry of Climate and Environment boasted the purchase of four electric buses.

– The change process will start around May, when, I hope, electric buses will appear on the road and the service will gradually evolve. We also do not want to make a revolution there – says Szymon Ziobrowski, director of the Tatra National Park.

Buses will not replace animals, and the journeys will be irregular. – The service we will perform will not be a regular transport, i.e. leaving at a certain time from stop A to get to point B – says Szymon Ziobrowski.

For ecoactivists, changes are insufficient. They expect to completely replace animals with electric buses. – replace some of these horses with electric vehicles. I think it's very fine – comments Mr. Szczepan, a tourist from Tarnów.

Negotiations between the local government, the Tatra National Park and carriers have been going on for several weeks. – We are trying to organize this situation again in the form of such cultural transport – says Szymon Ziobrowski.

Concerns concern, among others, security. Electric buses move very quietly. Tourists may not notice them. – We have to sit down and live, how this transport will be conducted – indicates Andrzej Skupień.