The driver of a horse-drawn carriage, fined for talking on his mobile phone, has vowed to fight the "ludicrous" charge.
Dean Crichton, who has been driving tourists around Melbourne CBD in his 19th Century carriage for 17 years, today told how he was pulled over by police on Sunday afternoon and told to get off the buggy.
The city coachman argued his actions posed no safety risk, because a horse-drawn carriage requires less handling than a car.
"I was only going four miles an hour (6.4kph) up Bourke Street," he said.
"And keep in mind the old timers, the milkies used to just run behind their buggy and let the horses drive it themselves."
Mr Crichton, who was using the phone to take a booking, said the police action and a subsequent breathalyser test was not a good look for his tourist business.
"They had their lights flashing, with the siren going," he said.
"I had American tourists in the back at the time, half-way through a ride - that didn't look good."
Mr Crichton was fined $135, but has vowed to contest the matter in court.
A spokesman for Victoria Police said horse-drawn buggies were classified as vehicles and drivers must abide by road rules.
Hmm I see their point, but as the guy says.. its a horse drawn carriage its not going very far.. I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and "guess" that the horse would stop before it walked into something
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