New York: The New York City Council voted on Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages from city streets and Central Park from June 2028, bringing an end to a longstanding tourist attraction and industry.
Of the city’s 51 lawmakers, 40 supported the bill, backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who said earlier this month that the horse-drawn carriage industry would come to an end. Seven council members voted against the measure, while two abstained.
Support for the ban grew following the death this summer of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India. Mahajan was thrown from a carriage and died on 17 June after the horse bolted when the driver stepped away to take a picture of his family.
US President Donald Trump, who has criticised Mamdani but also held cordial meetings with him, expressed scepticism about the ban.
“When there is a car accident in the area, of which there are many, they don't stop cars from entering the Park. So why would they stop the Carriages? It was a Great Tradition. Another piece of History that’s gone. It will be missed!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s business empire is headquartered in Trump Tower, a short distance from Central Park.
The bill requires the city to develop a transition plan for workers by April and consider a programme to compensate carriage operators for their businesses and help determine what happens to their horses.
Under the proposal, the horses cannot be slaughtered.
