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One of New York’s longest-running tourist attractions could be reaching the end of the road, after the city council voted to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park.
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Horse-drawn carriages have been part of Central Park since the mid-19th century and the vote on 22 October signals a possible end to a tradition that has sparked years of heated debate.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani must still sign the measure into law. He has previously supported a ban but has also raised concerns about protections for workers in the industry. If signed into law, the ban will take effect in June 2028.
The lead-up is meant to help the approximately 150 active carriage drivers find new employment, city council speaker Julie Menin told journalists ahead of the vote.
The Transport Workers Union, which represents the drivers, has vowed legal action.
Legislative battles over the fate of the cultural tradition that’s nearly as old as Central Park itself have been ongoing for nearly two decades.
Critics say the animals suffer, pointing to deadly collapses and dangerous escapes, while supporters point to the jobs the industry supports and the heritage it preserves.
The bill includes a provision for exploring potential compensation for licence holders, Menin said.
It mandates that owners of the nearly 200 horses would not be allowed to sell them for slaughter or for the purposes of other horse-carriage businesses.
The rides – enshrined in film and television including Robert Redford and Jane Fonda’s scene in “Barefoot in the Park”, or a dramatic ride in “Sex and the City” – can cost $150 (€134) for 45 minutes, while for a special occasion such as a marriage proposal it can cost up to several hundred dollars.
But after years of wrangling over the issue this past summer season proved decisive in sounding the death knell for the Manhattan carriages.
This past June an 18-year-old tourist from India was killed by a horse that got loose and bolted.
That followed a series of other incidents with the carriages, including the deaths of several horses.
The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the US’s most frequented urban park with 42 million annual visits, threw its weight behind the calls for a ban, saying it had become “a matter of public health and safety”.
Additional sources • AFP
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