The New York City Council voted 40-7, with two abstentions, on Thursday, October 22, 2026, to ban horse-drawn carriages from the city, setting a June 2028 deadline to phase out the industry, according to W42ST and reporting by The New York Times cited by Animals 24-7.

Source: W42ST

The bill is called Romanch's Law, named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died following a runaway carriage incident in Central Park in June. The Central Park Conservancy said his death was the ninth carriage-related incident in just over a year, in a park that welcomes roughly 40 million visits annually, according to Fox News reporting cited in coverage of the vote.

The vote was a veto-proof margin and ends nearly two decades of failed attempts to outlaw carriage rides in Central Park, W42ST reported. An amendment to delay the phaseout until January 2030 was defeated before the final vote.

What happens next

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he supports ending the industry, but has not said whether he will sign the bill, The New York Times reported via Animals 24-7. He has 30 days to sign it, veto it, or let it take effect without action. Council Speaker Julie Menin said the council is confident in the legislation and will vigorously defend it, according to Fox News reporting.

For the more than 150 active carriage drivers and other workers, the law would require the Mamdani administration to develop a transition program including job training, career counselling and employment referrals, although financial compensation is not guaranteed, Fox News reported. The Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage workers, threatened to challenge the ban in federal court and seek a temporary restraining order, saying drivers were not adequately consulted.

President Donald Trump criticised the decision on Truth Social, writing that the horse-drawn carriage in New York City is a quintessential New York experience and calling it sad that it will go for political reasons, according to the same reporting. Animal rights group PETA celebrated the vote and pledged $50,000 to help carriage horses retire, while the legislation includes protections intended to prevent retired carriage horses from being sold for slaughter.