Workers, TWU call for vote delay over retraining concerns
The New York City Council voted Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriage rides in the city, with carriage operations required to end entirely in June 2028. Under Romanch’s Law, a plan must be developed next year to help affected business owners and workers transition from the industry.
The legislation is named after Romanch Mohajan, an 18-year-old Indian tourist who was killed over the summer when he was ejected from a runaway horse-drawn carriage during a ride in Central Park.
Members of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents horse carriage drivers, in a protest called for the vote to be delayed to allow further talks. TWU President John Samuelson said the bill does not provide real worker retraining plans. Carriage drivers have said they are losing their livelihoods without a clear path forward.
Industry supporters say the carriage business has significant financial importance, that operators provide more than 100,000 rides annually and that they contribute to the city’s tourism sector.
Animal welfare advocates have separately questioned conditions in the industry, citing several horse deaths since 2020, including incidents in which animals collapsed while pulling carriages.
Ahead of the vote, Trump wrote on social media that he was “so sad to see the beloved Central Park Horse-drawn Carriage Industry ending after over a Century, based largely on one tragic accident.” He added: “When there is a car accident in the area, of which there are many, they don’t stop cars from entering the Park. So why would they stop the Carriages? It was a Great Tradition. Another piece of History that’s gone. It will be missed!”