A Springdale businessman began operating “horseless carriage” tours Friday in Eureka Springs.
Police Chief Earl Hyatt said his department received several telephone calls about the motorized “Cinderella” carriage, also known as a “pumpkin coach.”
Most of the callers were concerned about whether Ray Dotson, a former Springdale alderman, has the legal right to operate the 14-foot-long, eight-seat vehicle as a business in the tourist town.
Dotson argued for years with the Eureka Springs City Council before he was finally awarded a franchise in November 2011 to operate his horse-drawn carriage business in the city. But 20 months later, he arrived with the “horseless carriage” instead.
As far as the police are concerned, Hyatt said, the service appears to be legal. Dotson got a businesslicense from the city to operate a “carriage service.”
“This man purchased a permit to operate a carriage service, not a horse-drawn carriage service - a carriage service,” the chief said. “He has what he calls a carriage. It’s insured. It has all the headlights, taillights, blinkers, etc.”
Tom Tharp, who owns Olden Days Carriages of Eureka Springs, doesn’t think it’s right. Dotson’s “stupid-contraption parade-float thing” was taking passengers along routes the City Council awarded to Tharp with his two carriage franchises, Tharp said.
“They went all over town wherever they wanted to go with that little buggy,” said Tharp. “That contraption scares the hell out of my horses every time it goes by them.”
Dotson was awarded the franchise to operate a horsedrawn carriage on certain streets in the city, but he said he doesn’t have to stick to those routes with the motorized carriage.
Tharp said Dotson has been operating the vehicle in Eureka Springs like a taxi, but Dotson said that’s not so.
“It’s no taxi in any shape, form or fashion,” he said. “We’re doing tours. We pick people up and give them a tour. They call in. … If you want a ride to another bar, no, we don’t do that.”
Tharp said he planned to talk to the City Council about the situation at a meeting scheduled for Monday night.
“He refuses to follow the rules,” Tharp said of Dotson.
Dotson wasn’t surprised to hear that Tharp was concerned.
“It’s legal,” Dotson said. “They can scream all they want to.”
Dotson also owns a carriage business in Fort Worth and Ozark Mountain Carriages, which provides carriage rides around the downtown Fayetteville square at Christmastime.
Dotson purchased the motorized carriage from a man in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. It’s been popular in Eureka Springs, he said.
“People love it,” he said. “They absolutely love this thing over there.”
Dotson said he initially just wanted to lease carriages for weddings.
“But they threw up a Texas fit,” Dotson said, referring to Tharp and others who complained. “But this is America and the American dream, andit’s free enterprise.”
Mayor Morris Pate said as long as Dotson has a business license, he should be able to legally to operate the vehicle on the streets of Eureka Springs.
Eureka Springs has offered three franchises to companies to operate horse-drawn carriage businesses since 2004.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 07/23/2013