New York Moves to End Horse-drawn Carriage Industry, Drivers Feel Betrayed

WHO:

CNN - Council Speaker Julie Menin’s spokesperson said Menin “will remain engaged in the transition process.”

CNN - Former mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams had both called for ending the carriage industry; de Blasio campaigned on ending rides on his first day in office, while Adams floated a ban late in his term.

CNN - The proposed legislation would cover more than 150 remaining carriage drivers.

CNN - Carriage driver Alexus Lawson, 28, of Queens, said, “Without a job, how can I take care of my horses?” She is concerned about 7-year-old Starlight and her other horses.

CNN - Carriage driver Medet Fidan, 56, said, “We’re going to lose our businesses, we’re going to lose our jobs, we’re going to lose our livelihoods.”

CNN - Driver and industry spokesperson Christina Hansen asked, “Who’s going to pay my rent while I’m looking for a job?”

NY Post - Mayor Mamdani said he will sign the horse-carriage ban.

NY Post - City Council members are moving to phase out horse-drawn carriages.

Gothamist - Central Park horse-carriage drivers are involved in a last stand against the proposed abolition of their industry.

NY Post - NY Post readers submitted letters about the mayor’s and City Council’s move.

WHAT:

CNN - The city’s latest push to end carriage rides began after the death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan.

CNN - Mahajan’s father, Deepak Mahajan, told lawmakers that his son jumped from the carriage to help his mother after she was thrown from her seat when the horse bolted.

CNN - The family said they had believed the carriage rides were safe; drivers expressed sympathy but argued they were being unfairly targeted over a single accident.

CNN - The accident appeared to be the first horse-carriage fatality in Central Park since the rides began.

CNN - De Blasio’s effort to end the rides wilted amid union opposition and a media campaign involving actor Liam Neeson; Adams’s proposal went nowhere.

CNN - The legislation calls for job referrals in transit, hospitality and taxi industries, career counseling, and consideration of compensation for industry workers.

CNN - The drivers’ union vowed to file a legal challenge “the minute the ink dries” on the legislation.

CNN - The mayor’s office said it had begun discussions about potential compensation and was developing a workforce transition plan.

CNN - Mayor Mamdani said the government has a “civic responsibility to ensure that we are not leaving anybody out to dry.”

BBC News - The horse-drawn carriage tradition in New York City dates back 160 years.

ABC News US - New York City is set to wind down the horse-carriage tradition, which has operated for more than 150 years.

ABC News US - The carriage tradition is beloved by tourists but has long been opposed by animal-welfare activists.

Gothamist - City lawmakers are preparing to abolish the horse-carriage industry.

NY Post - The proposed ban would phase out horse-drawn carriages.

NY Post - The ban would abolish a private industry “with a pen stroke.”

WHERE:

NY Post - The horse-drawn carriages operate in Central Park.

Gothamist - Central Park is the location of the horse-carriage drivers’ last stand.

WHEN:

CNN - The City Council is expected to vote Thursday on a bill that would ban carriage rides by June 2028; the mayor’s office would have until next April to develop a plan to help drivers find other work.

WHY:

CNN - The latest push to end carriage rides followed the death of 18-year-old Indian tourist Romanch Mahajan, who died after jumping from a runaway carriage. His family said his mother was thrown from her seat when the horse bolted.

BBC News - New Yorkers are divided over the carriage tradition; drivers fear losing their incomes.

ABC News US - The planned ban threatens carriage drivers’ livelihoods.

Gothamist - The drivers feel betrayed as lawmakers prepare to abolish their industry.

NY Post - The article argues the ban sets a “scary socialist precedent.”

HOW:

CNN - The legislation sets a deadline for City Hall to create a plan addressing employment for displaced drivers and anticipates consideration of worker compensation.

NY Post - Mayor Mamdani has said he will sign the ban, which the article describes as abolishing the private industry “with a pen stroke.”

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 17:10 UTC)

New York City is moving to phase out horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park, with Mayor Mamdani saying he will sign the ban. The push gained momentum after 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan died in a runaway carriage accident. His father told lawmakers that Mahajan jumped to help his mother after she was thrown from her seat when the horse bolted. The proposed bill would cover more than 150 remaining drivers, and the City Council is expected to vote Thursday. If approved, rides would end by June 2028. Drivers say the change threatens their livelihoods: one asked how she would pay rent while searching for work, and another worries about caring for her horses. The plan calls for job referrals and career counseling, with compensation also under consideration. The mayor’s office is developing a workforce transition plan, while the drivers’ union has vowed to challenge the legislation in court.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 14:02 UTC)

New York City is moving to phase out its horse-drawn carriage industry, and Mayor Mamdani says he will sign the ban. The City Council is expected to vote Thursday on legislation that would end carriage rides by June 2028, affecting more than 150 drivers who operate in Central Park. The tradition, which dates back more than 150 years, draws tourists but has long faced opposition from animal-welfare activists. The latest push followed the death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan in a runaway-carriage incident. Drivers warn the ban threatens their livelihoods; Alexus Lawson worries about supporting her horses, while Medet Fidan says workers will lose their businesses and jobs. The bill calls for job referrals, career counseling and consideration of compensation. City Hall has until next April to develop a workforce transition plan, and the drivers’ union vows to challenge the legislation in court.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 10:12 UTC)

New York City is moving to phase out its horse-drawn carriage industry, a tradition dating back about 160 years. Mayor Mamdani has said he will sign a ban, while City Council members prepare to advance the measure. The carriages operate in Central Park and remain popular with many tourists, but animal-welfare activists have long opposed the industry. The proposed phaseout has put drivers’ livelihoods at risk, and some say they feel betrayed by the lawmakers’ plans. Drivers are making a last stand in Central Park as the city weighs ending the trade. New Yorkers remain divided over whether the tradition should continue. Supporters of the ban argue it would address animal-welfare concerns, while opponents say it would erase a long-standing private industry and the incomes it provides.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 08:06 UTC)

New York City is moving to phase out its horse-drawn carriage industry, a tradition that has operated for more than 150 years. Mayor Mamdani has said he will sign the proposed ban, while City Council members prepare to advance it. The carriages operate in Central Park, where drivers are making what they describe as a last stand against the industry’s abolition. The tradition is popular with tourists, but animal-welfare activists have long opposed it. For drivers, the change threatens their livelihoods, and some say they feel betrayed by lawmakers. The proposal would end a private industry through legislation, a move critics warn could set a troubling precedent. The debate has also drawn responses from New York Post readers, who have submitted letters about the mayor’s and City Council’s plans.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 21:22 UTC)

New York City lawmakers are moving to phase out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, and Mayor Mamdani says he will sign the ban. The proposal would bring an end to the private carriage industry, which has operated in the park for years. Drivers are making what they describe as a last stand against the plan, and say they feel betrayed as elected officials prepare to abolish their livelihoods. The measure would phase out the carriages rather than leave the industry in place. Mamdani’s support means the proposal has the mayor’s backing as it advances. The issue has prompted strong reactions, including letters from New York Post readers. One argument against the ban is that eliminating a private industry by government action could set a troubling precedent.