NYC Council to Vote in August on 2028 Central Park Carriage Horse Ban After Tourist Death
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 20
NYC Council to Vote in August on 2028 Central Park Carriage Horse Ban After Tourist Death
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 20
Summary
An August vote will decide whether New York phases out Central Park’s 68 horse-drawn carriages and 160 horses by June 2028 under a bill renamed “Romanch’s law.”
Support for the ban accelerated after 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan died last month when horse Samson bolted while the driver was taking a family photo, leaving no one holding the reins.
Julie Menin, the council speaker, now backs the measure, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani supports its “spirit” but wants protections for drivers’ jobs through a promised workforce development program.
Transport Workers Union leaders and carriage owners say the 165-year-old trade sustains immigrant workers and that horses are well cared for, while activists cite horse deaths, stable conditions and rejected electric-carriage alternatives.
The fight has widened beyond one crash into a broader clash over animal welfare, worker livelihoods and the future of a tourist tradition in a park now drawing 43 million visitors a year.
What happens to 160 horses and the immigrant families who depend on them if this NYC tradition is banned?
After 150 years, is one fatal accident enough to end an entire industry, or is there a bigger motive at play?
After 128 Accidents and a Tragic Death: The Push for "Romanch's Law" and the Future of Horse-Drawn Carriages in New York City
Overview
The tragic death of young tourist Romanch Mahajan in a horse-drawn carriage accident, where the carriage was out of control, has deeply moved the public and policymakers. This incident brought long-standing concerns about public safety and animal welfare to the forefront, highlighting a troubling pattern of accidents and horse deaths in recent years. Romanch’s death, as the latest and most tragic case, has created urgent momentum for legislative action, driving renewed efforts to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City and sparking intense debate about safety, ethics, and the future of this historic industry.