NYC Council approves Central Park horse carriage ban over GOP, union objections

(The Center Square) — The New York City Council voted Thursday to approve a ban on the city's 150-year-old horse-driven carriage industry in response to recent accidents and concerns about animal welfare.

The legislation, backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, would outlaw the iconic Central Park rides by 2028 and require the mayor’s office to aid the more than 150 carriage drivers who will be put out of work by the new restrictions.

The measure is expected to be challenged in court. Members of the Transport Workers Union International, which represents carriage drivers, declared at a press conference earlier this week that they would file a lawsuit to block the measure "the minute the ink dries" on the bill.

"This bill is a train wreck of constitutional and due process violations," TWU International President John Samuelsen said in a statement. "It offers nothing concrete for blue-collar drivers and carriage owners who will be financially crushed, stripped of their jobs, their licenses, expensive city-issued medallions, small businesses and way of life. It is not progressive. It is anti-worker. It’s theft."

Samuelsen said "there are no safeguards, only vague mentions of potential job fairs and job counseling and possible compensation for medallion owners." He said it also doesn't provide an adequate plan for retiring the horses.

While the measure passed with wide support in the Democratic-controlled council, at least one Republican member withdrew her support, saying it didn't include adequate protections for workers.

"The drivers deserve a meaningful plan, real solutions and a clear path forward before their ability to earn a living is taken away,” Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola said in a statement.

Passage of the bill comes after an 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, an Indian tourist, died in June after jumping from a runaway carriage during a ride in the park. His death sparked calls from animal rights advocates and city officials to end the industry.

"Horse-drawn carriages have long been part of New York City’s history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability," Menin said in remarks on the bill. "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."

The Mamdani administration said it is working with the Council on a "detailed" plan to transition the carriage industry workforce, and is discussing possible compensation for the soon-to-be out-of-work drivers.

Mamdani told reporters last week that the city government has a “civic responsibility to ensure that we are not leaving anybody out to dry.”

President Trump, a former New Yorker, has waded in on the debate, criticizing the ban and calling Central Park rides "a quintessential New York experience" for visitors and long-time residents.

“It was a Great Tradition Another piece of History that’s gone," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "So sad that, for political reasons, we will see it go! It will be missed!"