Rome's horse-drawn carriages or
'botticelle' will be restricted to the Italian capital's parks
according to a new move from the ruling anti-establishment
5-Star Movement (M5S), the M5S said Tuesday.
The famed tourist carriages are to move from the streets of
the Italian capital to its villas' parks under an M5S measure
passed by the House transport committee, which will be put to
the House floor on Monday.
The move is set to be put to final approval by Rome's
mobility committee, M5S sources in the capital said recently..
"Among the key aims of the measure is to avoid all suffering
to the horses, taking the botticelle activities to more suitable
locations like parks and historic villas," said the head of the
Rome environmental committee, Daniele Diaco of the M5S.
It will also be possible for drivers to switch jobs and apply
for taxi licenses, he said.
Since no new botticelle licenses will be issued, the
carriages may disappear if all 32 drivers apply to become taxi
drivers.
Animal rights groups have long complained that the horses are
subject to too much stress and strain on Rome's hot cobbled
streets.
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