New York City to ban horse-drawn carriage after Zohran Mamdani backs plans

Mrs Menin will bring the bill to a council vote on October 22.

Zohran Mamdani supported a ban in principle, but was said to be concerned that the horse carriage drivers, who are members of New York's powerful transport union, would lose their livelihoods.

Mr Mamdani's spokeswoman, Sneha Choudhary, said the Mayor was committed to finding new work for horse carriage drivers.

"We have been working closely with the City Council, union partners, carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, and community leaders to deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all," she said.

The bill had the support of most council members and, with Mr Mamdani's backing, is likely to become law.

In a statement, Mrs Menin said: "Horse-drawn carriages have long been part of New York City's history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability.

"Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on [this bill] to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves."

Former Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio, who served from 2014 to 2021, had pledged to ban the tourist attraction on "day one" of his administration, but failed after receiving pushback from the Transport Workers Union (TWU), which opposes the current bill.

The newest version of the bill includes several safeguards to protect labour, including a workforce transition programme which includes career counselling as well as referrals to employment opportunities in taxpayer-funded roles throughout the city, private sector sightseeing bus companies, and local pedicab operators.

The TWU, whose New York members are mostly subway, bus, and railway workers, have slammed the proposed ban as giving "no meaningful economic relief for workers".

Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen said: "This is disgraceful political opportunism, and Zohran should not simply go along with it, particularly when immigrant families’ livelihoods are being destroyed.

"This entire situation is reprehensible."

The bill only requires the city to "consider" establishing programmes to compensate carriage owners for the value of their businesses, horses, equipment and licences.

Mr Samuelsen said: "It only says the city should prepare a worker transition plan by April 2027 and include weak measures like job fairs and job counselling.

"It says the city should 'consider' financial compensation for carriage owners who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy city-issued medallions and build up their businesses."

The bill also requires horses to be sold in a "humane manner" - meaning the animals cannot be sold for the purposes of slaughter, or to be used by a different horse-drawn cab business.

In June, Romanch Mahajan, a tourist to New York from India, was riding in a carriage as a horse bolted, causing the 18-year-old to fall and die.

His father, Deepak, told NBC News it was a "big loss" to the whole family.

The bill has been supported by his family and also by animal rights advocacy group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets, whose co-founding President Steve Nislick said: "This legislation means so much to those who have spent years fighting with us to protect horses and prevent tragedy.

"Thanks to Speaker Menin’s fortitude and compassion, New York City is finally poised to close this painful chapter."

The proposed ban has also been supported by Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit group that manages the park.

"We do not take this position lightly, but with visitation to the park growing to record levels, we feel strongly that banning horse carriages has become a matter of public health and safety for park visitors," the conservancy's president wrote in a letter.