Animal lovers again insist on shelters for karozzini horses

An animal welfare group and the Floriana local council hit out at the Transport Minister for failing to deliver on his commitment to build shelters for horse-drawn carriages.

At the moment, the horses, used to draw the traditional karozzini, waited for hours in the blistering heat without any form of protection, Animal Rights Group chair Myriam Kirmond said. The animals needed shelter that covered their entire bodies while their owners waited for business during the hot summer months. There was also need for drinking water and better hygiene.

When the cab drivers tried to move their horses to a shaded place, they were fined by wardens or Transport Malta officials, karozzin owner Kevin Debono said. “They are wiping us out with the amount of tickets they are issuing. We care for these animals more than ourselves but we can’t do anything,” he said.

Ms Kirmond called on Transport Minister Austin Gatt to keep his promise over the shelters. “He gave us a commitment last August to build the much-needed shelters in various places in Malta but the plans remain on paper,” she said.

Floriana mayor Nigel Holland echoed her appeal and said it was a shame the animals and their owners were not protected in any way from the heat even after all these years.

In an attempt to help the drivers, the council set up a number of bins at Valletta Waterfront where the owners could dump horse droppings, which can eventually be used as fertiliser.

But Mr Holland admitted that the council was limited in what it could offer the cabbies and pointed out that it was up to the government to provide the appropriate shelters. “We need to free them from these conditions and provide them with adequate facilities,” he said.

The lack of shelter for the horse-drawn cabs has been highlighted by animal welfare groups for the past 10 years.

Ms Kirmond said the welfare group would keep up the pressure on the government to solve the situation. “The issue is being bounced from the planning authority to Transport Malta and Dr Gatt did not live up to his commitment,” she said.

The welfare group has worked hard to raise awareness and last year invited two animal experts to look into the situation. They drew up a report which found most horses were “in good condition” and pointed out that the animals did not have adequate shade and shelter, water points and hygiene facilities at stands where they waited for custom or rested.

The first move to protect the animals from the summer sun came in 2005 when the government set up provisional shelters in St George’s Square, Valletta. These were criticised for being too few. The shelters were dismantled last August when horse-drawn cab drivers were stopped from entering the centre of Valletta so the area could be turned into a pedestrian zone as part of the government’s Valletta rehabilitation project.

Cab stands were temporarily relocated in various areas on the outskirts of the capital where there are no shelters yet. In fact, ever since the move, animal rights organisations have called on the government to provide shade and drinking water to the animals.