Horse-drawn carriages have long been a common sight in Central Park and are a popular tourist attraction for the city. A new bill supported by animal rights activists would ban horses and carriages city-wide, beginning May of 2016.
Photo courtesy of centralpark.com.
Animal rights activists have long awaited the bill introduced this week to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, legislation that fulfills a campaign promise by Mayor Bill De Blasio, who said he would get rid of the carriages “on day one.” But the proposal, which would take horses and carriages off the roads by May 2016, has already sparked a rally at City Hall and a lot of debate.
The Taxi Workers Alliance, against the City’s plan to offer carriage drivers green outer-borough taxi medallions as recompense for being laid off from carriage driving, is the latest union to join the opposing side. In addition to the medallions, valued at over $1 million each, the proposal includes a training program, so that the drivers could transition to other jobs. The plan says that the City would pay for these associated costs.
City Council member Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale) is among the nine council members who oppose the ban in the interest of protecting over 300 union jobs. But she also identified as a believer in animal rights, citing the impending doom of horses that can no longer “work.” “We are not going to be fooled by those who say that banning horse-drawn carriages is an animal rights issue,” she said. “Banning the horse-carriage industry would harm tourism, leave hundreds of families without jobs, and condemn these beautiful horses to join the tens of thousands of unwanted, American horses that are sold each year to slaughterhouses and glue factories.”
Currently, there are 13 council members supporting the ban, including Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who gave jurisdiction over the bill to the Transportation Committee — headed by Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, a bill co-sponsor — as opposed to Consumer Affairs, a committee headed by ban opponent Rafael Espinal. Bill proponents in the Council appear confident that they will persuade enough of the 25 undecided members to get it passed.
By Eugénie Bisulco
