New York City’s Central Park horse-drawn carriage industry is nearing its end after Mayor Zohran Mamdani reached a deal on legislation that aims to abolish the carriage rides. The ban comes after years of criticism from animal rights advocates who charge that the horses are overworked, get easily scared and live in inadequate stables with drivers flouting city regulations.“This moment belongs to the advocates and supporters who have spent years fighting with NYCLASS to protect horses and people on our city’s streets,” Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS, said in a statement.
CNN: New York City’s iconic Central Park horse-drawn carriage industry is nearing its end after Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin reached a deal on legislation that aims to abolish the carriage rides.
Menin is expected to bring legislation to the council floor for a vote later this month, a spokesperson told CNN. The ban, which will be implemented in phases, will take effect on June 1, 2028, according to a copy of the legislation reviewed by CNN.
The move comes after years of criticism from animal rights advocates who charge that the horses are overworked, get easily scared and live in inadequate stables with drivers flouting city regulations. Horse and carriage owners have denied the the claims, arguing the animals are well cared for and the stables are up to code.
“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,” Sneha Choudhary, a spokesperson for City Hall, said in a statement.
New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets, a group that has been pushing for the ban for several years, as well as two mayoral administrations said the agreement would finally put an end to the “cruel and dangerous horse-drawn carriages.”
“This moment belongs to the advocates and supporters who have spent years fighting with NYCLASS to protect horses and people on our city’s streets,” Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS, said in a statement.
Momentum to ban the century-old attraction was renewed following the death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan, who was killed after he was thrown from a runaway horse-drawn carriage in Central Park last summer. SOURCE
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