By JESSICA WOOLLEY

Melbourne City Council's Code of Practice regulating horse-drawn carriages is ineffective and has not been enforced, according to animal activists. 

Melbourne Against Horse-Drawn Carriages campaign manager Kristin Leigh said the code offered "very little protection" for the welfare of working horses.

The code sets out the responsibilities of permit holders, as well as working conditions for the horses involved in the popular Melbourne trade.

However, the council's ability to implement the code has been questioned after incidents putting the welfare of horses at risk, including an incident where a horse collided with a tram in July. 

"The City of Melbourne has been negligent in enforcing any part of the Code of Practice," Ms Leigh said. 

RSPCA animal welfare policy manager Mhairi Roberts said there were some concerns about whether the council had the capacity "to adequately regulate the code".

The RSPCA had had "some input" into the first draft of the code, but was "not 100 per cent happy" with the draft, or the subsequent published code, she said. 

Ms Roberts said the code required a review, and the RSPCA welcomed a future collaboration with the council to refine it to protect the welfare of the animals. 

In a previous statement, the City of Melbourne said council officers enforced the terms of the Code of Practice and permits issued to operators. 

"The Code of Practice is in place to ensure the safety of passengers, operators and their horses and anyone travelling through the city," the council said. 

There are currently eight operators who hold council-issued permits that allow them to sell horse-drawn carriage rides. 

After protests that co-incided with an expected review of the licences and the code, the council gave a statement to CBD News saying there would be community consultation before it concluded. 

“The City of Melbourne will seek broad community input into Horse Drawn Vehicle (HDV) trading permits before long-term arrangement options are presented to council,” the council said. 

“The current trading permits, which are due to expire in February, will be temporarily extended until June 2017 to allow for wider community consultation.

“Initial feedback highlighted a need for broader input, prompting CoM to change its timeline and allowing adequate time to consider all implications including the pending works to Swanston St as part of the Metro Tunnel project. A report is expected to be presented to council in early 2017.”