New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says there is not enough support in the city council and among city residents to ban the horse carriage business around the city. De Blasio promised supporters of his mayoral campaign he would end the industry but found he is up against obstacles, namely a defiant public.
“I believe, fundamentally, that horse carriages don’t belong in New York City. I’ve never felt any differently ever since I made the pledge to ban them. The fact is the Industry has a lot of support in the city council and among the populace,” de Blasio told WNYC Radio’s Brian Lehrer on Wednesday.
A December 2014 Quinnipiac poll showed that 67 percent of New York residents do not want to see the horse carriage industry in the city done away with. De Blasio, instead, suggested that antique-style electric vehicles replace the horse drawn carriages that are frequently seen around Central Park.
Although Democrats dominate the city council, many grew up around the popular carriages and city councilman Rafael Espinal, whose committee may take up the bill to ban them remains unconvinced the industry is a problem. Espinal told the New York Daily News he will try to convince his colleagues to oppose the ban, which is largely pushed from the outside by an animal rights organization.
However, the bill may be steered away from his committee to another committee whose lead councilman is more sympathetic to the ban.
Mayor de Blasio thinks it only a matter of time until the horse carriage industry is eliminated in the city of New York.
The mayor said, “What I would say to any advocate [of the ban], ‘You already have my vote. Go get the votes in the city council and solidify the support in the city council so we can make this change.’”