New York City Votes to End Nearly 170-Year Horse Carriage Tradition by June 2028, as Trump Blasts Ban and Drivers Threaten Lawsuit

The New York City Council voted on Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages by June 2028, moving to end a nearly 170-year tradition and prompting threats of legal action from carriage drivers and criticism from President Donald Trump.

The council voted 40-7, with two abstentions, to approve Romanch's Law, named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died in June after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park.

The legislation would phase out the industry by June 1, 2028, while requiring Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration to develop a transition programme for more than 150 active carriage drivers and other workers.

The plan would include job training, career counselling and employment referrals, although financial compensation is not guaranteed.

Carriage drivers and union leaders blasted New York City lawmakers over the controversial ban, accusing officials of destroying workers' livelihoods and vowing to fight the measure in court.

The Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage industry workers, threatened to challenge the ban in federal court and seek a temporary restraining order. Union representatives accused City Council Speaker Julie Menin of failing to adequately consult drivers whose livelihoods are at stake.

Opponents argued the city had failed to establish a concrete financial plan for drivers and carriage owners. An effort to delay the phaseout until January 2030 failed before the final vote.

President Donald Trump weighed in on Thursday, criticizing the move to eliminate one of New York City's longtime tourist attractions. He wrote on Truth Social that the horse-drawn carriage in New York City is a quintessential New York experience and that it was so sad, for political reasons, to see it go.

Menin defended the legislation on Thursday, saying the council had strengthened worker protections and was prepared for a legal fight. She told a news conference the council was very confident in the legislation, had taken time over the summer to work on it, had made changes to beef up worker protection, and would vigorously defend it, adding she had already talked to Steve Banks and her team.

Animal rights group PETA also celebrated the vote, pledging $50,000 to help carriage horses retire as the industry winds down.

The Central Park Conservancy celebrated the decision, arguing that horse-drawn carriages pose growing safety risks in a park that welcomes roughly 40 million visits annually. It said that in the modern era carriages pose a serious — and even fatal — safety risk to park visitors, carriage drivers and the horses themselves, and that its heart broke for the family of Romanch Mahajan, who stepped into a carriage earlier this summer and never thought he might lose his life.

The Conservancy said Mahajan's death was the ninth carriage-related incident in just over a year.

The legislation also includes protections intended to prevent retired carriage horses from being sold for slaughter, while allowing owners to keep their animals.

The bill now heads to Mamdani, who has expressed support for ending the industry. If signed, it would bring an end to a decades-long political battle over one of New York City's most recognizable tourist attractions.