Full Breakdown
NYC Moves to End Horse-Drawn Carriage Industry by 2028
By Drooid · · How we work
Phase-out Plan and Legislative Timeline
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced a deal to phase out horse-drawn carriage operations in New York City, with a vote expected next week on legislation that would ban the rides beginning in June 2028. The bill, renamed “Romanch’s Law” after an 18-year-old rider who died in a carriage accident, would prohibit the use of horses for tourist rides while allowing owners to keep, sell, or transfer the animals provided they are not sent to slaughter or “inhumane purposes.”
Background and Safety Concerns
The carriage industry, a 168-year-old tradition, has faced criticism after viral videos showed horses collapsing and escaping traffic, and after the fatal fall that killed Romanch Mahajan. Animal-rights groups argue the horses are mistreated, while city officials cite public-safety concerns.
Official Statements & Responses
Speaker Menin said the council’s framework aims to provide “meaningful protections for the workers” and announced a new working group that will include the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 and other stakeholders.
Criticism & Opposition
Carriage owner Frank Riccobono, who operates 12 horses and three carriages, warned that the ban would erase a multigenerational livelihood. He highlighted the $400,000 medallion cost required to operate legally and argued the loss would impact families already facing health and financial challenges. TWU shop steward Christina Hansen described drivers as being treated “as if we don’t matter,” and cautioned that without city funding the horses could be abandoned in under-resourced rescues.
Verbatim Quotes
- “You have pedicabs flying around, so why are they permitted to have a business?” — Frank Riccobono, owner and manager of NYC Horse Carriage Rides
- “And now a 168-year-old tradition, attraction is being forced to surrender, which is very taboo. I want my investment to stay there for the next 20 years, 50 years, 100.” — Frank Riccobono, owner and manager of NYC Horse Carriage Rides
- “It shows they're trying to criminalize us because a horse is working.” — Frank Riccobono, owner and manager of NYC Horse Carriage Rides
- “I think that we have a civic responsibility to ensure that we are not leaving anybody out to dry,” — Zohran Mamdani, price if mayor
- “He hasn't and he probably won't, because he'd get so much blowback on social media or whatever," Hansen said.” — Christina Hansen