World News for Students of English

27-10-2026 15:00

New York City lawmakers will vote on a bill to ban Central Park’s historic horse-drawn carriages by June 2028.

Activists have long argued that operating horses on busy city streets is inhumane and unsafe. Support for the ban surged following a fatal accident in which a young tourist died when a horse bolted. City officials, including the mayor, support the phase-out and propose transition plans to compensate owners and protect horses from being slaughtered. However, the proposal faces strong opposition from drivers and the Transport Workers Union, who argue that the tradition has existed since the 1800s and provides a livelihood for hundreds of workers.

While some visitors regret losing an iconic city tradition, others welcome the change and point to modern alternatives that don’t involve animal labor.

Difficult words: inhumane (causing unnecessary suffering to people or animals; without kindness), bolt (to suddenly run away out of control, usually because of fear or shock), phase-out (ending or stopping something gradually over a period of time).

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