New York City set to vote on Central Park horse-carriage ban

New York City’s council is expected to vote on Thursday on a ban that would end Central Park’s horse-drawn carriage rides from June 2028, a proposal welcomed by animal-welfare advocates but opposed by drivers worried about their livelihoods and the future of their horses.

The measure, known as Romanch’s Law, is named after 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan, who died in June after a horse bolted and he fell from a carriage. The proposal also follows the death this year of a carriage horse, Deniz, after it ate a toxic plant in the park.

Around 200 drivers work in the industry. Alexus Lawson, who has driven a carriage for six years and owns six horses, called Mahajan’s death “extremely tragic” but disputed claims that the horses are mistreated or that the rides are unsafe. She said the city should end the practice immediately if safety is its concern, rather than allow it to continue for another two years.

The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park and backs the ban, says there have been seven horse-related incidents in the past 13 months. One involved a horse hitting another carriage in May, leaving a driver needing hospital treatment; another horse ran into traffic in January, causing a multi-car collision.

Drivers fear for jobs and horses

The proposal calls for an industry transition framework that could include job placement, training, career counselling and financial compensation. Mayor Zohran Mamdani supports the ban, and a spokesperson for his office said it was involved in planning to find workers new jobs.

But the Transport Workers Union, which represents drivers, says the framework offers no guarantees, including on compensation. It warned that workers could be “economically wiped out” and questioned whether there would be enough funding for people and organisations that take in the horses. The bill would prohibit selling the animals for slaughter or similar work.

Drivers say they were not properly consulted. Medet Fidan, who has worked with carriages for 12 years, told the BBC officials were threatening his family’s livelihood without speaking to him in person. The city council held a public hearing in July where drivers and other community members could comment.

A long-running dispute

Animal-welfare concerns have been raised about the carriage trade for decades. Opponents include Peta and other groups, while supporters say the horses are working animals and part of New York’s culture. The city’s carriage horses can work up to nine hours a day and wait at designated park entrances for customers.

The ban proposal follows previous efforts that faced opposition from council members and unions. Its passage would set a two-year transition period, leaving workers and city officials to resolve how jobs, compensation and the horses’ care will be handled before the rides end.