Mayor Zoran Mamdani and the speaker of the New York City Council have agreed to ban horse-drawn carriage rides in the city, a popular tourist attraction that has drawn widespread criticism, UNN reports, citing The Guardian.
Details
Mamdani agreed to support a bill backed by Julie Menin, the speaker of the New York City Council, that bans the operation of horse-drawn carriages starting in June 2028, Politico reported on Tuesday. The City Council is expected to vote on the legislation next week.
"The horse-carriage industry is coming to an end in New York City. Our administration will ensure that workers and owners are protected, and that the horses are safe," Mamdani wrote on X on Tuesday.
A person familiar with City Hall confirmed that an agreement had been reached.
Although carriage rides are ubiquitous in Central Park, animal advocates have long raised concerns about the treatment of the horses. Since 2020, several horses have died, at times collapsing during carriage rides.
The push for a ban intensified over the summer after 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan died after being thrown from a carriage.
In a statement, Menin said that horse-drawn carriages had "become a growing public-safety concern."
"We can honor our city's traditions while recognizing that it is time to move forward in the interests of public safety, protecting workers and strengthening the economic vitality of our city," Menin said.
A spokesperson for Menin said that the City Council speaker would bring the bill to a vote on October 22.
In addition
Despite broad support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages, officials have struggled to advance the legislation because the Transport Workers Union of Greater New York, which represents carriage drivers, has raised concerns about the drivers' livelihoods.
Mamdani had previously indicated that he would support a bill banning horse-drawn carriages; however, he expressed concerns about the bill as drafted because it contained insufficient protections for carriage workers.
A copy of the bill sent to The Guardian contains language requiring the city to create a workforce-transition program providing carriage drivers with counseling and referrals to other jobs in the private and public sectors.
The bill also requires the city to "consider" creating a compensation program for carriage owners based on the value of their businesses.
John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transport Workers Union, told Politico that the bill does not provide "significant economic relief for workers."
"This is shameful political opportunism, and Zoran should not simply go along with it, especially when the livelihoods of immigrant families are being destroyed," Samuelsen said. "This entire situation is reprehensible."
It is unclear whether Mamdani plans to sign the bill in its current form or whether additional changes will be made.
Sneha Chowdhury, a spokesperson for City Hall, said in a statement: "We are working closely with the City Council, union partners, carriage drivers, animal-protection advocates and community leaders to ensure a just transition that protects workers while ending the use of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all."
The bill also requires the city to introduce a program to help drivers humanely relinquish their horses—prohibiting them from selling the horses, transporting them for slaughter or selling them for use in horse-drawn carriage operations elsewhere.