NYC votes to end nearly 170-year-old horse carriage tradition as Trump blasts ban, drivers threaten lawsuit

The New York City Council voted Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages by June 2028, moving to end a nearly 170-year tradition after the death of a teenager in Central Park and prompting threats of legal action from carriage drivers.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 program for more than 150 active carriage drivers and other workers. The plan would include job training, career counseling and employment referrals, although financial compensation is not guaranteed.MAMDANI PRAISED OVER MOVE TO DISMANTLE CONTROVERSIAL NYC INDUSTRY — BUT INSIDERS SAY THERE’S MORE TO THE STORYA horse-drawn carriage takes passengers for a loop through Central Park Oct.14, 2026, in New York.

(AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)President Donald Trump weighed in on the decision Thursday, criticizing the move to eliminate one of New York City's longtime tourist attractions."The Horse-drawn Carriage in New York City is a quintessential New York experience.So sad that, for political reasons, we will see it go!" he wrote on Truth Social.The Transport Workers Union (TWU), 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.MAN KILLED AFTER HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE BOLTS AND FLIPS NEAR POPULAR NEW YORK CITY TOURIST DESTINATIONSecond-generation horse carriage driver Frank Riccobono speaks outside New York City Hall Oct.21, 2026, ahead of a vote to ban the industry.

(Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)Opponents argued the city had failed to establish a concrete financial ...