Transport authority insisting on shelters to be erected by horse cab operators

Transport Malta has rejected accusations by the Animal Welfare Rights Group that it is insensitive to the conditions of horses.

“We are not the competent authority to protect animal rights,” a TM spokesperson said. “Under present legislation, cab licences issued to operators are not tied to proper treatment of horses.  In the negotiations being held with operators, Transport Malta is insisting on this new condition and is insisting as well that cab operators be obliged to erect and maintain horse shelters to reduce the hardship of the animals and to ensure proper segregation between waiting cabs and other road and pavement users - they are not so obliged today.”

Animal rights group spokesperson Myriam Kirmond said the transport ministry had to take construct shelters for shade, establish water points for instantly available water, build drains for urine and place bins to dispose of waste at horse shelters “to establish more humane conditions for the horses that spend constant hours in the scorching sun everyday.”

The horse cabs’ conditions have also attracted the attention of the international animal rights groups Taws and Waspa. Taws established the use of a special cloth to be placed on the horse’s back as a form of protection during mild seasons, but is insufficient for hot temperatures such as Malta’s during summer.

“The ARG has been trying to reach an agreement with the Transport ministry and Malta Tourism Authority for quite a while now, but they all try and shrug off the work and delegate it to another Ministry,” Kirmond said.

Kirmond added that communication with transport minister Austin Gatt and minister for resources George Pullicino proved to be futile, as “they continue to ignore our request for these shelters.”

Transport Malta however said it is insisting that heavy penalties are introduced – including the loss of the operational licence – in the event of lack of care or proper grooming of the horses.

“Operators need to appreciate that the erection of horse shelters cannot for practical, aesthetic, planning, traffic and accessibility reasons be erected at every single waiting point that is used today by horse cabs.

“In any case whilst Transport Malta is willing to facilitate the required funding, a commercial operation such as the horse-cab service should not expect public funds to be used to compensate for legal obligations of commercial operators: in this case the obligation to ensure that animals are not made to suffer unnecessarily.”