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De Blasio’s crusade to ban horse carriages has little support

Under the cover of budget negotiations, Mayor Bill de Blasio is trying to persuade City Council members to pass his proposed ban on Central Park’s carriage horses — but is coming up lame, sources told The Post.

The sources said de Blasio has lined up no more than three definite “yes” votes on the 13-member Transportation Committee, the first step in moving his legislation to the full council for a vote.

Most committee members remain undecided.

“The mayor is trying hard to get this through, but he doesn’t have the votes, and right now, I can’t see how he will before the [fiscal 2016] budget gets passed,” one source said Thursday.

A mayoral aide insisted that negotiations involving the carriage-horse industry “are not part of the budget process.”

De Blasio pledged during the 2013 mayoral campaign to oust the horses on “Day One” of his administration, reaping huge financial support from animal rights activists.

But he soon learned that achieving the goal wouldn’t be a walk — or trot — in the park.

Mayor Bill de BlasioAP

De Blasio wants to phase out the iconic buggy rides by May 2016, when the hansom licenses expire, and substitute electric replicas of vintage automobiles.

The bill he introduced last December offers the 300 licensed horse-carriage drivers free job training and permits worth about $6,000 to operate green taxis.

But the drivers want to stay put.

“There won’t be any compromise,” said Steven Malone, spokesman for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York.

Council members said that among their biggest concerns is what will happen to those horse carriage drivers who have no interest in becoming cabbies.

“We remain committed to legislation that furthers a humane and equitable solution,” a mayoral spokeswoman said.