New York Decides to Ban One of the City's Iconic Features — Central Park Horse Carriages

The New York City Council has decided to ban one of the city's symbols and tourist attractions — the horse-drawn carriages that operate in and around Central Park. Thus, animal rights advocates won a long-standing dispute over the fate of the carriages, but the people — coachmen and horse owners — promise to sue, writes the BBC.

The ban on carriages is not planned to take effect immediately, but only from June 1, 2028. The vast majority of city council members voted for this decision on Thursday: 40 against 7. The law still needs to be signed by Mayor Zahran Mamdani.

Caring for the welfare of the horses, the authors of the law included a provision stating that after completing their work on the streets of New York, owners will be prohibited from sending them to slaughter or selling them to similar tourist carriage companies in other cities.

Currently, 68 horse carriages are licensed to operate in Central Park — their number has been restricted since World War II.

According to Reuters, citing Christina Hansen, head of the Central Park carriage drivers' union, more than 180 horses and about 150 drivers are involved in serving tourists.

The new law includes a promise to draw up a plan by next April to help those who lose their jobs, but drivers and horse and stable owners say the law does not adequately secure their future.

"It offers nothing concrete to the working drivers, nor to the carriage owners who will be financially crushed, deprived of their jobs, licenses, expensive city medallions [license to operate — BBC], their small businesses, their way of life," Reuters quoted John Samuelsen, head of the Transport Workers Union, as saying.

"We'll see them in court," added Alexander Kemp, vice president of the New York branch of the union. "This battle is not over yet."

Disputes surrounding Central Park's horse-drawn carriages have been ongoing for many years. Supporters of their preservation say they are one of New York's romantic symbols. These carriages, for example, have appeared in numerous films.

Former US President and New York native Donald Trump also spoke out in defense of the carriages before the vote.

"The Horse-drawn Carriages in New York City are Quintessential New York. It is so sad that they will be gone — for political reasons," Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Proponents of the ban, animal rights advocates, say it is an anachronism and that forcing horses to work hard in heavy street traffic and polluted city air is inhumane and dangerous to their health.

Ashley Byrne, head of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), stated regarding the New York City Council vote that it marked the end of an "abhorrent enterprise that forced horses to drag heavy carriages through congested streets, in harsh weather conditions, until they dropped dead."

In 2013, Bill de Blasio, before being elected Mayor of New York, promised to ban horse-drawn carriages on his first day in office. After becoming mayor, he indeed tried to introduce a ban several times but ultimately failed.

Over the past year, several incidents involving these carriages have reignited debates about their fate. Since May 2025, at least seven tourists and drivers have been injured.

In June, a fatal incident also occurred: a horse was startled and ran, the carriage overturned, resulting in the death of an 18-year-old Indian tourist who was inside.

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