New York City Council votes to end horse-drawn carriages by June 2028
Council members passed Romanch’s Law after a tourist’s death in Central Park. Carriage drivers face a planned transition, while their union says it will challenge the measure.
New York City Council voted on Thursday, October 22, to phase out horse-drawn carriages by June 1, 2028, ending a longstanding Central Park tourist activity. The measure, called Romanch’s Law, follows the death of an 18-year-old tourist during a carriage ride in June and sets up a dispute over what happens to drivers and horses.
ABC News reported that the council passed the bill 40 to 7, with two abstentions. It would stop the city from issuing new licenses for horse-drawn cabs before carriage operations end. The vote advances a ban that had been scheduled for an October decision under an earlier city deal.
Why the carriage ban gained support
The law is named for Romanch Mahajan, an Indian tourist who died at 18 after a horse bolted during a family carriage ride in Central Park. ABC reported that the carriage clipped another carriage’s wheel and overturned. Earlier mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams had pushed for a ban without gaining enough council support; the issue gained momentum after Mahajan’s death.
The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park and has long supported a ban, welcomed the vote. It described Mahajan’s death as one of nine carriage-related incidents in just over a year, according to ABC. BBC News separately reported the conservancy citing seven horse-related incidents over 13 months. The reports give different counts and descriptions of the incidents.
What happens to drivers and horses
The bill provides for a workforce transition program covering job placement, training, career counselling and financial compensation, ABC reported. Mayor Zohran Mamdani backs the proposal and said he would help develop a transition plan, according to the BBC. Drivers interviewed by the BBC said they did not want new jobs and disputed allegations that they mistreat their horses.
The Transport Workers Union says the law does not guarantee compensation or funding for groups that take in the horses, the BBC reported. ABC said the union had warned it would seek a temporary restraining order once the law was finalized. Its representative, Alexander Kemp, said after the vote: ‘We will see them in court.’ Whether the union has filed a case was not immediately clear.
ABC put the number of union-represented carriage drivers at roughly 150; the BBC estimated roughly 200 drivers. The bill bars selling the horses for slaughter, and the BBC reported that it also bars selling them for similar work. Carriage owners may keep their horses, the BBC said.
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Sources and context
- New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages in 2028ABC News
- New York bans horse-drawn carriages over safety and abuse concernsBBC News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.