Under a compromise brokered by Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City’s horse-drawn carriages will be confined to Central Park, significantly altering the landscape of the city’s iconic tourist attraction. This agreement, reached with the union representing carriage drivers, aims to halve the number of licensed horses from about 180 to 95 and relocate them to stables within Central Park by October 1, 2018. The move addresses animal-rights concerns by removing the horses from city streets, thereby fulfilling a campaign promise de Blasio made over two years ago, despite the political controversies it stirred.
The deal, described as “an agreement in concept,” not only aims to end a longstanding debate over the presence of carriage horses in the city but also introduces a contentious measure to ban pedicabs south of 85th Street in Central Park. This part of the agreement has sparked outcry from pedicab operators who argue that the restriction will severely impact their business, primarily serving tourists in the park’s more frequented southern end. Some, like pedicab driver Richard Costella, see the move as unfairly favoring the carriage industry at their expense, with legal action being considered in response.
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