New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have reached an agreement to phase out Central Park’s horse-drawn carriage industry, bringing a decades-long campaign by animal-rights advocates closer to a potential victory.
The legislation, known as Romanch’s Law, would end horse-drawn carriage operations by June 2028. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the measure Oct. 22, and Menin has said she expects it to pass with a veto-proof majority.
The agreement follows years of unsuccessful efforts to end the industry, which has operated in New York City for more than 150 years. Calls for a ban intensified this summer after a carriage horse collapsed and died while working, followed weeks later by the death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan. Mahajan was riding with his family in Central Park when a horse bolted, throwing him from the carriage.
Following Mahajan’s death, lawmakers renamed the proposed legislation in his honor. The incident also prompted renewed scrutiny of the risks horses face working amid city traffic, crowds, construction, and other unpredictable conditions.
Mamdani previously expressed support for ending carriage rides in Central Park while raising concerns about protections for workers who depend on the industry. On Tuesday, he reiterated his commitment to a transition that accounts for both animal welfare and workers’ livelihoods.
“My administration will make sure workers and owners are protected and the horses are safe,” he wrote on social media.
How would New York City’s horse carriage ban work?
Under the proposed legislation, the city would develop a workforce program to help carriage drivers and other industry employees find new employment opportunities. The bill also includes provisions intended to ensure the horses’ humane placement, including protections against their sale for slaughter or transfer to other carriage businesses.
However, the transition plan has drawn criticism from the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage drivers. Union president John Samuelsen has argued that the legislation lacks guaranteed financial relief for families whose livelihoods depend on the trade.
Animal-rights advocates, meanwhile, have spent decades pushing to retire the horses from city streets and move them to sanctuaries. If this legislation passes and the ban takes effect, it would mark a final chapter in the fight.
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
JUMP TO ... Latest News | Recipes | Guides | Health | Subscribe
