Minor respite for the Mijas donkey taxis

THE donkey soldiers of Mijas will see a minor improvement to their situation, which has provoked outcry far beyond the boundaries of the picturesque Costa del Sol town. 

Taking advantage of the low season in order to minutely enhance the working conditions of the so-called ‘Donkey taxis’, the local government will install a railing so that the animals need not be so tightly tied to the wall. 

The announcement has been made amid great fanfare by the department of transportation, with councillor Nuria Rodriguez posing triumphantly next to the donkey stands. 

She told the media: “It is a laborious work of metal and wood and will take about a month to install,” before going on to claim the donkeys “will have room to be more comfortable and avoid biting one another.” 

That last statement is likely to raise a few eyebrows among many of the passionate protestors who have fought against the perceived cruelty of the practice, as covered by the EWN. 

Many decry the difficult physical conditions suffered by the animals, forced to carry tourists around the hilly streets in the scorching summer heat. The outcry reached fever pitch levels, when local expat Mark Bajerski captured two handlers beating an exhausted donkey on video and dispersed it across social media. 

Mijas Town Hall has since come under intense pressure to abandon the practice entirely, but has also faced strong demands from the donkey managers who argue that the taxi business is their livelihood. 

The news appears to hint at some measure of attempted compromise, but it is highly unlikely that the story will end here. 

Related article: Donkey drama in Mijas Pueblo always attracts attention