Teen tourist's death a decisive factor

Animal welfare concerns over horse deaths also cited

Horses and coachmen wait for passengers in Central Park in New York City. [Getty Images]
Horses and coachmen wait for passengers in Central Park in New York City. [Getty Images]

Horse-drawn carriage rides in New York City's Central Park — a beloved attraction for roughly 160 years — will be banned starting June 2028 after the New York City Council passed legislation to end the practice.

The council voted Thursday (local time) to approve the ban, 40 to 7, according to The New York Times and other media outlets.

Under the measure, carriage operations in Central Park will officially cease on June 1, 2028.

The city plans to draw up a support program by April 1, 2027 to help coachmen and operators find new employment after the ban takes effect.

The legislation also includes animal protection provisions, prohibiting horses that had pulled carriages from being sold for slaughter or transferred to other carriage operators.

Calls to abolish the carriage trade have been debated for decades amid sustained criticism from animal welfare groups.

Public pressure for a ban intensified after a teenage tourist from India died when she fell from a carriage in Central Park while visiting with her family, and after separate incidents involving horses dying on the job raised fresh concerns about safety and animal cruelty.

The carriage industry has pushed back against the legislation.

Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents the industry, issued a statement before the vote calling the bill "a catastrophe marred by constitutional violations and due process failures." President Donald Trump, a New York native, also weighed in on Truth Social, writing that it was "sad to see the end of the beloved Central Park carriage industry, which has lasted for over a century, based primarily on one tragic accident." He added: "When a car accident happens in the area, they don't ban cars from entering the park. So why ban carriages?"

Carriages suspended for 6 days after teen's death

The fatal accident that proved decisive in the push for a ban occurred in June.

Romanchi Mahajan, an 18-year-old from India who had traveled to New York with her family to celebrate her high school graduation, died after falling from a carriage in Central Park, Yonhap reported at the time.

The accident happened when the coachman stepped off the carriage briefly to take a family photo and the horse suddenly bolted, overturning the carriage.

It was the first fatal accident involving a Central Park carriage in more than 150 years since the rides were introduced.

The incident amplified public safety concerns, and carriage operations were suspended for six days while safety protocols were reviewed.

According to the industry, 68 carriages are currently operating in Central Park, employing about 150 coachmen and using more than 180 horses.

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio had pledged during his 2013 campaign to ban carriage rides on his first day in office, but the proposal failed to win support in the City Council and was never carried out.


yul@heraldcorp.com