Two days after a protest in Valletta over the wellbeing of karozzin horses, photos on Monday showed one of the shelters intended for the animals was fully occupied by parked cars, leaving the horses to wait in the sun.

The situation reflects a common complaint among karozzin drivers, who claim their best efforts to keep their horses cool and rested are hindered by inconsiderate drivers, as well as a lack of shelter at key pick-up spots and the need for more water-points.

Calls for a revision of the law surrounding horse-drawn carriages have grown after a horse collapsed and died in the afternoon heat last week, just days after a similar incident near Pieta, from which the horse recovered.

Activists who protested in Valletta on Saturday called for a gradual ban on the traditional carriages while animal welfare parliamentary secretary Clint Camilleri has acknowledged that the law may have to be revised.

Operators, however, warn that a ban would result in a “massacre” of working horses, with sanctuaries not having enough space to take them in and drivers not being able to afford their upkeep.