The unpleasant smells that sometimes pervade the air while you’re walking downtown should become a little less prevalent as a result of new efforts by carriage tour companies to clean up after their horses.
The companies are working together to address the long-running issue of balancing tourists’ attractions and residents’ quality of life.
The latest tactic being employed, with a little encouragement from city officials, is the use of flags, purchased 5,000 at a time, to mark areas that need cleaning.
Drivers then call the “equine waste technician” who deploys to the area in his “Super Dooper Pooper Scooper” power-washer equipped truck to spray down the site or shovel up any horse “deposits.”
The hours the cleanup specialist operates were expanded about two months ago so someone is now on call and on the way whenever the carriages are operating.
The city is serious about equine sanitation and always monitoring what is a “sticky subject” — no pun intended, said Veleeta McDonald, acting director of the city’s mobility and parking services. You really don’t want to come upon an unsightly object while walking downtown, McDonald said.
“We’ve noticed a lot of improvement with the expanded hours,” McDonald said. “That’s helped out tremendously.”
Robert Marshall, one of the cleanup specialists, said they try to make sure the spill is neutralized within 20 minutes. The flags also identify a spot that needs their attention if a puddle is evaporated by the heat, he said.
If a mess lingers a little too long, there is a phone number on the flags for pedestrians or business owners to call.
Once the responsibility of city employees, the carriage companies took charge of the cleanup operation about two years ago. They each pay about $1,350 a month to fund the service.
The city’s five carriage tour companies have a combined fleet of 22 carriages, according to a tourism advisory committee report issued in January. The city sent letters to all of the drivers in mid July spelling out their responsibilities for keeping the historic district odor free and aesthetically pleasing.
The drivers are supposed to immediately treat urine with a chemical deodorizing solution, mark the spills with the flag, call or text any spill to the cleanup crew and make sure the horse diapers are fitted property to prevent trails of manure clumps along the road.
Carriage drivers who don’t comply could have their tour-guide permits suspended.
The city’s warning is a reasonable one, said Christa Rosenkranz, a carriage driver with Historic Savannah Carriage Tours.
“It’s not difficult to clean up after your horse if you are paying attention,” she said.