Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the leader of the New York City council have agreed to ban horse-drawn carriages from the city, a popular tourist attraction that has faced widespread scrutiny.
Mamdani has agreed to back a bill supported by Julie Menin, the speaker of the New York City council, that would make it illegal to operate horse-drawn carriages beginning 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 make sure workers and owners are protected and the horses are safe,” Mamdani wrote on X on Tuesday.
A person familiar with the mayor’s office confirmed a deal had been struck.
While horse-drawn carriage rides are ubiquitous in Central Park, animal rights activists have long expressed concern over the treatment of horses. Multiple horses have died since 2020, occasionally collapsing in the middle of carriage rides.
The push for a ban increased over the summer after an 18-year-old tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after being thrown from a carriage.
In a statement, Menin said horse-drawn carriages had “become a growing public safety liability”.
“We can honor our city’s traditions while recognizing when it’s time to move forward in the interest of public safety, protecting workers, and strengthening our city’s economic vitality,” Menin said.
A spokesperson for Menin said the city council speaker would bring up the legislation for a vote on 22 October.
Though there has been broad support for a horse-drawn carriage ban, officials have struggled to push legislation forward because the Transport Workers Union, a New York transport union that advocates for carriage drivers, had raised concerns about the carriage drivers’ livelihoods.
Mamdani had previously signaled he would support legislation banning horse-drawn carriages; however, he expressed concerns about the bill as written because it contained insufficient worker protections for carriage drivers.
A copy of the bill, shared with The Guardian, includes language requiring the city to create a workforce transition program that provides carriage drivers with career counseling and referrals to other job opportunities in the private and public sector.
The bill also requires the city to “consider” establishing a program to compensate the carriage owners for the value of their businesses.
John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transport Workers Union, told Politico the bill gave “no meaningful economic relief for workers”.
“This is disgraceful political opportunism, and Zohran should not simply go along with it, particularly when immigrant families’ livelihoods are being destroyed,” Samuelsen said. “This entire situation is reprehensible.”
It is unclear if Mamdani plans to sign the bill as is or if there will be further changes.
Sneha Choudhary, a city hall spokesperson, said in a statement, “We have been working closely with the city council, union partners, carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, and community leaders to deliver 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 assist drivers in getting rid of their horses humanely – prohibiting the horses from being sold or transported for slaughter or sold for horse-drawn carriage industries elsewhere.