- NYC Council passes Romanch’s Law to end Central Park horse carriages
- Law named after Romanch Mahajan, 18, who died after being thrown from a carriage
- Industry to be phased out by June 1, 2028
- Bill now goes to Mayor Zohran Mamdani for signature
NEW YORK CITY has voted to end horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park, months after an 18-year-old tourist from India died after being thrown from a carriage.
The City Council on Thursday approved “Romanch’s Law,” named after Romanch Mahajan, by a vote of 40-7 with two abstentions. The bill now goes to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who agreed on the legislation with Council Speaker Julie Menin earlier this month.
The law will phase out the industry by June 1, 2028, while protecting workers whose livelihoods depend on it.
Menin said Mahajan’s “tragic and preventable” death had “underscored the need for urgent action after decades of mounting concerns.”
Mamdani agrees to phase out Central Park horse carriages by 2028
“From longstanding animal welfare concerns and increasingly extreme heat conditions to historic overcrowding in Central Park, which now welcomes more than 42 million visitors annually, the status quo has become unsustainable and unsafe for horses and people alike,” she said.
How the phase-out works
The bill, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, bans new licenses for carriage horses, horse-drawn cabs and drivers from June 1, 2028. Existing licenses will permanently expire on May 31, 2028.
The council said the 19-month wind-down will create a framework for a safe and orderly transition for workers and horses.
Marte credited advocates and the “courage of the Mahajan family” for helping the city reach “a point where we can retire these horses safely and help workers build their next chapter.”
Years of campaigning
The legislation was previously known as Ryder’s Law, after a 26-year-old carriage horse that collapsed on a New York street in August 2022 and died that October. Animal rights groups, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, have since campaigned for a ban.
New York Horse Carriage Ban Bill renamed ‘Romanch’s Law’ after Indian teen’s fatal Central Park accident
After Mahajan’s death, the council held a hearing with testimony from carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, city officials and residents.
The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park for the city, said at the time that his death was “the tragedy we feared.”
“A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America,” it said.
Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, welcomed the vote as a reflection of “years of dedicated advocacy.”
(With inputs from PTI)
