New York moves to end Central Park horse-drawn carriages from 2028

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin agreed on 13 October to back legislation that would end horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park, making it illegal to operate a carriage in the city from June 2028. The City Council then voted to pass the bill, known as Romanch's Law, CBS New York reported.

The bill is named after Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who died in a carriage accident in the park in June. Menin said the carriages had become a growing public-safety liability in an increasingly busy park used by 42 million people a year, and that horses had been spooked and had broken free in a number of accidents.

Under the deal the city must set up a transition programme for carriage drivers, with career counselling and referrals to jobs in the public and private sectors, including the MTA, the Port Authority, sightseeing bus companies and pedicab operators. Licensed horse owners must certify by 1 March 2027 that they will not sell or transfer their horses for slaughter, or for use in another horse-drawn cab business.

The Transport Workers Union, which backs the carriage drivers, opposed the ban. Its international president, John Samuelsen, called it political opportunism and said the transition plan offered only job fairs and counselling while merely asking the city to consider compensating owners who had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for city-issued medallions. CBS New York reported that the union was prepared to challenge the ban in federal court.

Animal welfare groups and the Central Park Conservancy supported the bill. Mayors and council leaders have tried to end the carriage trade for more than a decade, and earlier efforts, including one by the previous mayor, Eric Adams, failed under pressure from the union. President Donald Trump called the end of the industry sad.

This report was expanded and updated on 1 November 2026 using reporting from Politico and CBS New York.