A bill that proposed a ban on horse-drawn carriages failed to pass in a November City Council committee hearing, prompting criticism from animal rights activists and even some Council members.
“This was one of the most undemocratic displays I have ever witnessed in the New York City Council,” noted City Councilmember Robert Holden. “The Council could not care less what New Yorkers think. Even a member of the Committee said openly that decisions are made behind closed doors with Council leadership and special interests, not with the public.”
“More than 75% of New Yorkers want horse-drawn carriages off city streets, so the carriage industry is resorting to dirty tricks to prop up this dying trade and keep exhausted horses pounding the pavement through sweltering summers and windy winters,” added Ashley Byrne, Director of the organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). “PETA is confident that with compassionate councilmembers already committed to reintroducing this bill next term, the question isn’t if New York will ban horse-drawn carriages, it’s when.”
With public sentiment turning against the 150-year-old New York City tradition of a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park, horsepower may soon be replaced by battery power. Outgoing mayor Eric Adams threw his support behind animal-rights activists that want to retire the horses and help carriage drivers transition to electric alternatives. Battery-electric horseless carriages have been around since the late 19th century.
According to media outlet ChargedEVs, tourists in the coming years might find themselves taking leisurely rides through the park in a horseless carriage.
“While horse-drawn carriages have long been an iconic fixture of Central Park, they are increasingly incompatible with the conditions of a modern, heavily-used urban green space,” Mayor Adams said. “It has become abundantly clear that these horse-drawn carriages no longer work for our city.”
Sources: ChargedEVs, CBS News
