The New York City Council voted 40-7, with two abstentions, on Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages by June 1, 2028, ending a tradition that has operated in the city for nearly 170 years.
The measure, called Romanch’s Law, is named for 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died in June after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park. The Central Park Conservancy said his death was the ninth carriage-related incident in just over a year.
The legislation requires Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration to create a transition program for the more than 150 active carriage drivers and other industry workers, including job training, career counseling and employment referrals. Financial compensation for workers is not guaranteed under the bill.
President Donald Trump criticized the vote on Truth Social, calling the carriage rides “a quintessential New York experience.” He added: “So sad that, for political reasons, we will see it go!”
The Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage industry workers, said it will challenge the ban in federal court and seek a temporary restraining order. Union representatives said City Council Speaker Julie Menin failed to adequately consult drivers whose livelihoods depend on the industry.
Opponents of the bill also argued the city has not laid out a concrete financial plan for drivers and carriage owners who will lose their trade. An attempt to push the phaseout date back to January 2030 failed before the final vote was taken.
Menin defended the legislation at a news conference Thursday, saying the council spent the summer strengthening worker protections and is ready to defend the law in court.
“We’re very confident in the legislation. That’s why we took the time to work over the summer on the legislation. We made changes to legislation to beef up worker protection. We are very confident in defending this law and will vigorously defend it. I’ve already talked to Steve Banks about it and our team, and we will vigorously defend this law,” Menin said.
Animal rights group PETA praised the vote and pledged $50,000 to help retire carriage horses as the industry winds down. The Central Park Conservancy also welcomed the decision, citing the roughly 40 million annual visits the park receives and what it called a serious safety risk from carriages operating among that traffic.
“In the modern era, carriages pose a serious — and even fatal — safety risk to Park visitors, carriage drivers, and the horses themselves. Our hearts break for the family of Romanch Mahajan, who stepped into a carriage earlier this summer and never thought he might lose his life,” the Conservancy said in a press release.
The bill also includes provisions meant to stop retired carriage horses from being sold for slaughter, while still allowing their owners to keep them.
The legislation now goes to Mamdani, who has voiced support for ending the carriage industry. If he signs it, the law would close out a political fight over the carriages that has run for decades.
Add comment