NYC Councilman: Postpone Vote On Horse Carriage Bill
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A New York City Councilman is calling for a postponement of a vote on the hotly debated horse carriage bill.
Councilman David Greenfield, of Brooklyn, said representatives of the de Blasio Administration could not effectively answer "even the most basic questions," about the future of pedicab drivers under the bill.
"I think there are a lot of unanswered questions, specifically about who is going to lose their job in the horse carriage and pedicab industry, the legality of putting a private structure in Central Park and whether or not this even addresses the underlying issue regarding horses," Greenfield told 1010 WINS.
De Blasio's plan would reduce the number of carriage horses operating in Central Park, and also use public funds to move horses to a refurbished stable on the grounds. The plan would prohibit horses from city streets beginning June 1.
The total number of horses would also drop from 220 to 75.
The number of hours per day a carriage may operate will be reduced, and carriages will be able to charge an extra $5 for trips after 6 p.m. between Nov. 15 and Jan. 5, and on Valentine's Day or Easter.
Under the plan, pedicab drivers would also be prohibited from operating in certain sections of the park -- a provision highly criticized by the pedicab industry, which claims the restrictions will hurt business.
Animal rights activists and others gathered on the steps of City Hall to protest the bill in late January, claiming the plan was pushed through without consultation.
"I think the prudent thing to do is take a little more time and to come back to the table and to try to fix what is obviously a half-baked proposal in relation to horse carriages," Greenfield said.
The bill is expected to go to vote sometime this week.
