New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages in 2028
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
The New York City Council voted 40 to 7 to ban horse-drawn carriages starting June 2028.
About 150 drivers face an uncertain transition; the union plans to sue.
Background
Horse-drawn carriages have operated in New York City since 1858 and cruised Central Park for more than 150 years; by the mid-20th century the city limited carriage licenses to 68. The push for a ban followed the June 2026 death of 18-year-old Indian tourist Romanch Mahajan, thrown from a carriage in Central Park, and the collapse of a horse named Deniz in the park the same month. The legislation is named Romanch's Law, and the Transport Workers Union (TWU Local 100), which represents the roughly 150 carriage drivers, opposes it.
How it unfolded
- Jun 2026Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old Indian tourist visiting with his family for his high school graduation, was thrown from a carriage in Central Park and killed; the same month a horse named Deniz collapsed while pulling a carriage with passengers.
- Oct 21, 2026The Transport Workers Union sent a letter to the city's law department saying it will seek a temporary restraining order "the minute the ink dries."
- Oct 22, 2026The City Council voted 40 to 7, with two abstentions, to pass Romanch's Law with a veto-proof majority; demonstrators gathered outside City Hall ahead of the vote.
- Apr 2027Deadline for Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office to develop a transition plan for the more than 150 remaining drivers, including career counseling and referrals in transit, hospitality and taxi industries, and to consider compensation.
Who’s saying what
- Support
- City Council Speaker Julie Menin said the fight that began with a bill 19 years ago ends today, arguing carriages don't belong in an area attracting 42 million people a year, pulling a 1,000-pound carriage in record heat.
- Caution
- TWU Local 100's Christina Hansen called the bill "deeply defective" and offensive, saying it will hurt people and horses, and the union said hundreds of blue-collar drivers, owners and families will be financially ruined.
- Party
- US President Donald Trump, from New York, called the horse-drawn carriage a "quintessential New York experience" and a "great tradition" that "will be missed."
- Expert
- The Central Park Conservancy said Mahajan's death was the ninth carriage-related incident in just over a year, a number it could not ignore as steward of the park.
Still unverified
The union says it plans to sue the city and will seek a temporary restraining order "the minute the ink dries"; critics call the bill unconstitutional because it would ban a licensed industry. What will happen to the drivers' jobs remains largely unanswered, though City Hall says it is working on a detailed plan and has started discussions on potential compensation.