NYC Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages to be banned under new Mamdani deal

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have struck a deal to ban horse-drawn carriages in the Big Apple.

The move would end a centuries-old practice and Central Park tradition that has come under renewed scrutiny after a bucking horse threw a teenage tourist to his death.

The council is floating a bill next week that has the backing of Mamdani, Menin told Politico Tuesday – which would make horse-drawn carriages illegal to operate in the five boroughs beginning June 2028.

“Horse-drawn carriages have long been part of New York City’s history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability,” Menin told the outlet in a statement.

“Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on [this bill] to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves.”

Animal-loving New Yorkers have long been fighting to ban the practice of hiring horse carriages for tours of the city’s iconic Central Park – citing grueling conditions for horses who often work long hours in extreme heat and cold.

Multiple horses have either dropped dead or fainted on the job over the past year, and several others have tried to run loose with the cart still attached to their backs.

Several bills banning the practice have been introduced and died throughout the years.

Concerns came to a head this summer when an 18-year-old tourist, Romanch Mahajan – was thrown to his death after a horse got spooked on his ride during a freak accident.

The heartbroken family demanded that carriage horses be banned in the five boroughs, declaring “the industry responsible” for the teenager’s death.

“If [the prior legislation] had passed, the carriages would have stopped on June 1, 2026 — Romanch died on June 17,” the boy’s father, Deepak Mahajan, pleaded before the City Council at a July hearing.

“This was not an unpredictable accident. Let his death not be in vain.”

The bill was renamed Romanch’s Law in honor of the slain teenager.

Previous iterations were named after Ryder, a carriage horse that collapsed and later died after spending a day carrying a carriage in the blistering August 2022 sun.

Council Member Christopher Marte, the bill’s prime sponsor, celebrated Menin’s announcement to “secure human futures for the horses.

“We are ready to get Romanch’s Law across the finish line on October 22 and finally bring this unsafe and outdated industry to an end,” Marte said in a statement.

“With a majority of the Council behind us, we have a historic opportunity to protect New Yorkers, visitors, workers, and animals, and we intend to finish the job.”

The vote is expected to take place Oct. 22.

A spokesperson for Mamdani did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.