Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the head of the New York City Council have agreed to ban horse-drawn carriages from the city, a popular tourist attraction that has come under scrutiny.
Mamdani agreed to support a bill backed by New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin that would make horse-drawn carriages illegal to operate starting in June 2028, Politico reported Tuesday. The city council is expected to vote on the law next week.
“The horse-drawn carriage industry is coming to an end in New York. Our administration will ensure that workers and owners are protected and that horses are safe,” Mamdani wrote on X on Tuesday.
A person close to the mayor’s office confirmed a deal had been reached.
While horse-drawn carriage rides are ubiquitous in Central Park, animal rights advocates have long expressed concern about the treatment of horses. Several horses have died since 2020, sometimes collapsing in the middle of carriage rides.
Pressure for a ban intensified over the summer after 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan died after being thrown from a car.
In a statement, Menin said horse-drawn carriages had “become a growing public safety problem.”
“We can honor our city’s traditions while recognizing when it is time to move forward in the interest of public safety, protecting workers and strengthening the economic vitality of our city,” Menin said.
A Menen spokesperson said the city council president would put the bill to a vote on October 22.
Although there was broad support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages, officials struggled to advance the legislation because the Transport Workers Union, a New York transportation union that advocates for horse-drawn carriage drivers, had raised concerns about horse-drawn carriage drivers’ livelihoods.
Mamdani previously indicated he would support legislation banning horse-drawn carriages; However, he expressed concerns about the bill as written because it contains insufficient protections for car drivers.
A copy of the bill, shared with the Guardian, includes language requiring the city to create a workforce transition program that provides car drivers with career advice and referrals to other employment opportunities in the private and public sectors.
The bill also requires the city to “consider” establishing a program to compensate car owners for the value of their businesses.
John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union, told Politico that the bill provides “no significant economic relief to workers.”
“This is shameful political opportunism, and Zohran should not just accept it, especially when the livelihoods of immigrant families are destroyed,” Samuelsen said. “This whole situation is reprehensible.”
It’s unclear whether Mamdani plans to sign the bill as is or if there will be other changes.
Sneha Choudhary, a City Hall spokesperson, said in a statement: “We have worked closely with the City Council, labor partners, horse-drawn carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates and community leaders to ensure a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all. »
The bill also requires the city to implement a program to help drivers dispose of their horses humanely – prohibiting horses from being sold or transported for slaughter or sold to horse-drawn carriage industries elsewhere.
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