# NYC Council Votes 40-7 to End Horse-Drawn Carriages by 2028; Trump Calls It 'So Sad,' Union Threatens Suit

The council approved 'Romanch's Law' after an 18-year-old died in a runaway carriage accident in Central Park. More than 150 drivers face the end of their trade, and the Transport Workers Union says it will seek a restraining order in federal court.

- Section: [Politics](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/politics/)
- Published: 2026-10-22
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/nyc-council-votes-40-7-ban-horse-carriages-2028-trump-truth-social-union-lawsuit/

New York City will phase out horse-drawn carriages. Fox News reports the City Council voted 40-7, with two abstentions, on Thursday to end an industry of nearly 170 years by June 1, 2028.

The law. The bill is called Romanch's Law, for Romanch Mahajan, 18, who died in June after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park. It requires Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration to build a transition program for more than 150 active drivers and other workers, with job training, career counseling and referrals. Fox notes that money for the workers is not guaranteed. An amendment to push the phaseout back to January 2030 failed before the final vote. The bill now goes to Mamdani, who has said he supports ending the industry.

Trump. The president wrote on Truth Social: "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!"

The drivers' answer. The Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage workers, says it will challenge the ban in federal court and ask for a temporary restraining order. Union leaders accused Council Speaker Julie Menin of failing to consult the people whose jobs are at stake. Opponents also said the city has no concrete financial plan for drivers and owners.

The city's answer. Menin said the council added worker protections over the summer and is "very confident" in the law, adding that it "will vigorously defend" it.

Supporters. PETA welcomed the vote and pledged $50,000 to help carriage horses retire. The Central Park Conservancy said carriages pose a growing safety risk in a park with about 40 million visits a year, and that Mahajan's death was the ninth carriage-related incident in just over a year. The bill also bars retired carriage horses from being sold for slaughter, though owners may keep their animals.

Note for readers: the legal challenge has been threatened, not filed, as far as Fox reports. Details are as reported by Fox News.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nyc-votes-end-nearly-170-year-old-horse-carriage-tradition-trump-blasts-ban-drivers-threaten-lawsuit)