Horse carriage drivers breathed a sigh of relief Saturday after mounting concerns that they would swiftly be put out of work by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“It’s a little relief, the fact that he won’t do it right away and people are becoming aware of what the truth is,” Central Park carriage driver Robert Boyle said of de Blasio’s stalled efforts to ban the trade. “The horse has a right to work as much as any person in New York City does.”
De Blasio admitted he likely won’t get around to his pet project of banning horse-drawn carriages until the end of the year, taking a giant step back from his campaign promise that he would put an end to the iconic industry as soon as he took office.
“I think everyone came in and looked at all the other things we had to do and we had to prioritize,” de Blasio acknowledged Friday during a Google Hangout session on his first 100 days in office.
Legislation to ban the controversial carriage horses is still “being brainstormed” in the City Council, an aide to Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens) told the Daily News. But several Council members oppose a ban because it would take away about 300 jobs.
