The Teamsters Joint Council 16 supports horse-drawn carriages in Central Park and say workers who have done nothing wrong should not have their jobs taken away.
Mayor Bill de Blasio opposes horse-drawn carriages in Central Park but agrees: workers who have done nothing wrong should not have their jobs taken away.
The mayor calls the industry "inhumane," and says although he wants to end it, he's willing to replace the horses of the original 68 carriage license-holders with a fleet of electric, replica antique cars and taxi medallions worth $1 million as compensation, reported the New York Post .
The industry currently generates about $19?million a year.
City law allows carriage owners to transfer or sell their licenses, subject to the approval of the commissioner of consumer affairs. But the licenses rarely trade hands, with most remaining in the families of the original holders.
De Blasio spokesman Wiley Norvell said, "We're considering a range of options that would move the horses off our streets, safeguard the animals and protect the livelihoods of the men and women who provide carriage rides."
