Slam the brakes.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani conceded he won’t be able to deliver his promise of free buses this year — making a U-turn on one of the cornerstones of his campaign.

Hizzoner admitted he’s instead his turning his focus on restarting a pared-down fare-free bus pilot program, Politico first reported Wednesday — confirming New Yorkers will have to wait for the citywide no-cost transport he promised on the campaign trail.

Still, the mayor insisted he was still “absolutely committed to making buses fast and free” — eventually. 

“We’re encouraged by the conversations we’re having with the governor and legislative leaders to take action on that in 2026 as a first step,” he said.

“Both legislative houses included language within their one-house budget proposals in support of bringing back a free bus pilot program. That is something that we are encouraged by, and it continues to be part of budget negotiations.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany lawmakers are deep within state budget negotiations, where a free bus pilot is part of talks, state Sen. Michael Gianaris confirmed to The Post on Wednesday.

Gianaris and then-Queens Assemblyman Mamdani had teamed up in 2023 to launch a small pilot of free buses as part of that year’s budget. 

The Queens-based pilot was a success, prompting Mamdani the next year to pitch an expansion to the other four boroughs.

But Mamdani effectively killed expanding his pet project after a standoff with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), who yanked the initiative from the financial plan when the young lawmaker challenged him over an affordable housing issue, sources said.

Mamdani went on to mount a darkhorse run for mayor in 2025, in part by touting the Queens pilot program and arguing the MTA should expand free buses citywide.

Gianaris said the revived proposal would make three bus lines in each borough free and cost $45 million. 

The prospect has received a mixed-to-chilly reception in Albany, with Hochul pooh-poohing it even before Mamdani was elected mayor. 

Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber has also been notably against Mamdani’s campaign promise, casting the plan as half-baked and likely to cost much more than the mayor’s estimate.

But whether a less-ambitious free bus program could make it into Hochul’s $263 billion state budget proposal, currently languishing in Albany a week past its deadline, remained unclear.

Follow live updates on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist agenda and the latest in NYC politics

Sources suggested that reviving something akin to Mamdani’s years-old pilot could yet feasibly make it into the final deal — even with Hochul signaling that she’s done bailing out the Big Apple after already committing an additional $1.5 billion to help the city for the next two years.

Hochul, during an unrelated news conference in Manhattan Wednesday, said housing and her push for auto insurance reform were bigger priorities in the budget than buses.

“We’re working on those right now,” she said, though she noted, “Certainly we have had conversations on some accommodation on the cost of buses.”

MTA officials referred The Post to representatives at the governor’s office, who did not return a request for comment.

Mamdani’s U-turn on his free bus promise is just the latest during the 34-year-old’s first few months in office.

Last month, Mamdani named a Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, creating a small mayoral agency instead of following through with his vow to completely revolutionize how NYC responds to mental health calls with a new department taking on the role. 

“Mayor Mamdani is committed to delivering fast and free buses by the time he leaves office, full stop,” a City Hall rep said. “His First Deputy Mayor is in active discussions with the Governor’s office regarding fare free buses. In the meantime, the Mamdani administration will continue to work with our partners at the state and local level to make commutes faster and our transit system more affordable for all New Yorkers.”

– Additional reporting by Haley Brown and Emily Crane