New York City Council votes to ban horse-drawn carriages from June 2028

The New York City Council voted on Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages. The ban is set to begin in June 2028. The BBC and Reuters each reported the vote and the start date. The carriages have long been a tourist attraction in the city.

According to Reuters, the ban covers both city streets and Central Park.

According to the BBC, the carriages have been a New York tradition for more than 160 years, at times a controversial one. The BBC reports that roughly 200 carriage drivers work in Central Park.

The BBC reports that the bill is named Romanch's Law. It honours Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India. In June, he fell out of a carriage and died after the horse bolted. His family attended Thursday's council hearing.

The BBC also describes other incidents. Earlier this year, a horse named Deniz died after eating a toxic plant in Central Park. In May, a driver was taken to hospital after a spooked horse hit another carriage. In January, a horse named Destiny ran into traffic and caused a multi-car collision.

According to the BBC, the bill proposes an "industry transition framework." It includes potential job placement, training, career counselling and financial compensation. It forbids selling the horses for slaughter or for similar work. Drivers who spoke at the hearing said workers earn around $60,000 to $70,000 a year.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include the vote tally. They do not say whether the mayor has signed the bill, or how much funding the transition plan has.

What each side says

Council Speaker Julie Menin said the measure would ensure Mahajan was "the last soul that we lose to this industry," according to the BBC. She said owners could keep their horses if they choose.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani backs the ban, the BBC reports. He said he will help develop a transition plan for workers. The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park, supports the ban. It cites seven "horse-related incidents" over the past 13 months. The Manhattan Borough President's office says 40 Central Park carriage horses have died since 1982.

Several drivers deny that the horses are mistreated, according to the BBC. Driver Alexus Lawson said a city truly worried about safety would act immediately, not in two years. "What am I supposed to do with my horse?" she said, as quoted by the BBC.

Driver Medet Fidan said officials did not speak to drivers in person. "I spend more time with my horses than my wife and my kids," the BBC quoted him as saying.

The Transport Workers Union, which represents the drivers, says the law has no guarantees on compensation. It says workers would be "economically wiped out."

Analysis

The vote marks a turning point in a long-running debate that earlier efforts did not settle. Much now depends on details the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not cover. These include the vote tally, the remaining legal steps and the funding behind the transition framework. If compensation and job support prove substantial, opposition from drivers and their union could ease. If they do not, disputes over workers' livelihoods may continue. The fate of the horses is another open question. The bill bars their sale for slaughter, but the union warns of limited funding for people who take them in.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.