New York City Council to vote on ban of Central Park horse-drawn carriages by 2028
The City Council is set to approve legislation that would phase out horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park by 2028, following a fatal accident involving an 18-year-old tourist.
New York City lawmakers are preparing to pass a bill that would end horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park by 2028, ending a practice that has lasted more than 150 years. The legislation, expected to be approved next week, follows a series of safety concerns voiced by three consecutive mayors and renewed public attention after an 18-year-old tourist died when a carriage horse bolted last spring.
Council speaker Julie Menin confirmed that the vote has sufficient support to pass, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had reached an agreement with the speaker on the proposal. > "The horse carriage industry is coming to an end in New York City," Mamdani posted on social media.
The teenager, Romanch Mahajan, was visiting from India and jumped from a runaway carriage while trying to assist his mother, according to testimony from his father, Deepak Mahajan, during a council hearing. > "We are shattered, our whole family shattered. The pain does not go away," Deepak Mahajan said.
Animal-welfare advocates have long argued that horses should not be required to navigate busy streets and crowded park areas. The bill includes provisions for a workforce transition plan for drivers, potential compensation for industry workers, and a requirement that horses be retired in a humane manner rather than being sold for slaughter.
Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen criticized the measure, saying it offers "no meaningful economic relief for workers" and accusing Menin of using the tragedy for political gain. > "This is disgraceful political opportunism, and Zohran should not simply go along with it, particularly when immigrant families' livelihoods are being destroyed," Samuelsen said.
Proponents of the carriage industry, such as longtime driver Conor McHugh, highlighted the rides' cultural appeal to tourists. > "Taking a horse and carriage ride in New York City is one of the most iconic things to do in New York City and people from all over the world know about us and travel to New York to go to a carriage ride in New York," he told the council.
The proposed law also mandates that horses receive at least five weeks of annual vacation outside the city, undergo biannual veterinary inspections, and be retired by age 26, with restrictions on work during extreme heat.