New York Approves Ban on Horse-Drawn Carriages: The End of a 150-Year-Old Central Park Tradition

New York — The New York City Council voted on Thursday 40 to 7 to ban horse-drawn carriages, ending a tradition of more than 150 years that runs through Central Park. The ban, approved with a veto-proof majority, will phase in until June 1, 2028 and will apply across all five boroughs, according to USA Today and the New York Post.

The legislation, dubbed "Romanch's Law," is named for Romanch Mahajan, the 18-year-old Indian tourist who died in June after being thrown from a carriage in Central Park. His parents attended Thursday's council session. "Today's historic vote marks our commitment to animal welfare, public safety, and protecting workers," said Council Speaker Julie Menin.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who declared in early October that the horse carriage industry "is coming to an end in New York City," supports the measure and is expected to sign it. President Donald Trump criticized the decision on Truth Social and called the carriages "a great tradition" that "will be missed."

Opposition to the industry intensified this summer after the tourist's death and after a horse named Deniz collapsed suddenly in Central Park in June while pulling a carriage with passengers. Animal rights groups have called for decades for an end to the practice, which they consider inhumane.

The law requires the mayor's office to develop a transition plan by April 2027 and to consider compensation for operators; the horses could not be slaughtered. The Transport Workers Union, which represents about 150 to 200 carriage drivers, has vowed to sue the city. New York joins Philadelphia, Chicago and San Antonio, which outlawed the practice in the last five years.

Photo: NY Post

Source: USA Today