Karozzini and animal-drawn carriages hired to carry passengers are exempt from new rules on the use of certain vehicles during the rush hours. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Banning animal-drawn carriages from the road during rush hour but allowing them if they are ferrying passengers made no sense, traffic expert Maria Attard said.

“How could a measure aimed at removing slow-moving or unsafe vehicles, particularly for the horse, exclude the majority of animal-drawn carriages,” Prof. Attard asked.

A legal notice issued last week lays down that no animal or any animal-drawn vehicle may be used between 7am and 9am and 4pm and 6pm on weekdays. It exempts the “police cavalry, military parades and animal-drawn vehicles for which a Licence A or Licence B has been issued”. Such licences are issued to karozzini (horse-drawn cabs) and animal-drawn carriages hired to carry passengers.

The new rules come into force in two months’ time and will affect those who use animal-drawn carriages to transport goods, street hawkers, those using a serkin, xarretta or any traditional or vintage animal-drawn vehicle. Horse-riding on the road will also be banned.

Prof. Attard insisted it was actually the karozzini that needed to be regulated most and the focus should be on managing their movement to and from specific locations. “For example, the carriage and the horse should be transported safely in an appropriate vehicle rather than being driven to Valletta via the main roads,” she said.

A number of accidents involving horses and karozzini occurred in 2015.

A horse had to be put down in January after being badly injured when it bolted and hit two cars in Gżira. In June, a 67-year-old man and a cabbie and his horse were injured in a collision between a car and a karozzin in Pietà. The incident took place during the morning rush hour.

The measures contained in the legal notice did very little to improve the traffic situation and ease congestion, Prof. Attard complained.

We are merely dealing with the victims rather than the culprits

“All these policies and suggestions, including the shifting of school transport, removal of heavy vehicles and, now this, will never solve the problem of congestion. We are merely dealing with the victims rather than the culprits.”

Congestion was often caused by misuse of road infrastructure and lack of order and enforcement, she said.

“Roadworks, accident management, illegal parking, improper road design and lack of proper parking infrastructures are simple examples of measures that need to be taken if we are seriously going to tackle congestion,” Prof. Attard said.

Joe Micallef Stafrace, who for long years served as a court-appointed traffic expert, disagreed. He said the measure would reduce the number of horse-drawn carriages on main roads to a minimum.

“Karozzini are used at specific times in very specific places and so this exception should not really make any difference,” Dr Micallef Stafrace said.

Other regulations included in the new legal notice deal with the licensing of vehicles and animals, insurance requirements, operators’ licences, the upkeep of vehicles and animal grooming and riding horseback. Those running riding schools will be required to comply with a number of rules.