Horse-drawn carriages continue to circulate in various Italian cities, including Rome, Naples, Florence, Pisa, Messina, and Palermo. Nevertheless, their numbers are decreasing, in part due to the fact that numerous coachmen, who drive them, have retired without being replaced, while others decided to convert their licenses into taxi licenses. Others, however, are committed to their vocation and wish to continue practicing it because of tradition and habit. For years, animal rights groups have been campaigning for the abolition of carriages, which they view to be a form of horse abuse and exploitation. They claim that they are forced to pull loads under the sun and are subjected to high amounts of stress while driving through traffic. Their concerns, however, have yielded little success: the goal of adopting a national law prohibiting carriages has never been achieved. However, time is on the abolitionists' side. In 2009, there were 44 carriages in Rome, with 88 horses. As of now, there are 17 carriages. Palermo, the city with the most carriages, had over eighty a few years ago, but they have since fallen by more than half.