New York will ban horse carriages in Central Park

Nova York, 223out 2026 – The City Council of New York today approved the ban on horse carriages transporting tourists in Central Park from June 1, 2028, following a fatal accident.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is responsible for promulgating the measure, had already expressed his support for this ban, although he expressed concern about the protection of workers in the sector.

The deadline for entry into force is to help the approximately 150 active drivers find a new job, said Mayor Julie Menin at a press conference before the vote.

The draft law provides for the municipal administration to study the possibility of a clearing mechanism for licence holders, he added.

The more than 160 horses used in the carriages shall not be sold to slaughterhouses or other activities involving this type of transport.

The transport workers' union, which represents this activity — existing since the 19th century — announced on Wednesday the intention to challenge the ban in court.

President Donald Trump, a city’s native, lamented in the Truth Social network the end of a “New York experience par excellence” and a “Great Tradition”, claiming that the decision was taken for “political reasons”.

The PETA animal rights organization announced the donation of $50,000 to pay for the care of horses that will be taken from the service and celebrated, in a statement, the end of an “unfriendly industry”.

These carriages have been the subject of heated debates for almost twenty years, involving animal advocates and drivers.

Several projects to ban this tourist attraction — whose price ranges from $150 for 45 minutes to several hundred dollars for a proposal — were submitted by elected representatives.

The death of an 18-year-old Indian passenger in an accident in June accelerated the adoption of this measure.

Before, there were several incidents involving carriages, as well as the death of horses.

The body responsible for managing the Centre Park also spoke, for the first time in 2025, against the carriages, assessing that they represent a “security” problem for more than 42 million visitors who attend the park annually.