The family of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist who died after being thrown from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park, is appealing to the New York City Council to ban the industry. Their plea comes ahead of a significant hearing on Wednesday concerning a bill, now named “Romanch’s Law,” that proposes to phase out the 160-year-old practice.
"Our beautiful child was senselessly, needlessly taken away from us," said Gorav Mahajan, Romanch's uncle, in a video message to City Council Speaker Julie Menin. "His death was entirely preventable. In fact, it could’ve been worse – we could’ve lost our entire family in that horrific incident."
The Mahajan family, visiting from India, had arrived in New York City just three days before the June 16 incident. While posing for a photo taken by their carriage driver, the horse reportedly became spooked and bolted, causing Romanch's mother to fall, followed by Romanch, who sustained fatal injuries. His uncle stated that while the rest of the family survived, "the next family may not be as lucky," and demanded "absolute accountability."
The bill, previously known as Ryder’s Law after a carriage horse that died in 2022, was first introduced in that year by then-Councilman Bob Holden. It failed to reach a vote. Last November, the Council’s health panel declined to advance the measure out of committee, despite support from then-Mayor Eric Adams and the Central Park Conservancy.
Councilman Chris Marte reintroduced the bill this year. He was scheduled to rally in support of it outside City Hall before the hearing, joined by Mahajan family members, actress Edie Falco, and other animal advocates. Several family members are expected to testify remotely from India and Canada, as well as in person.
Marte indicated that the bill outlines a two-year timeline to transition the dozens of licensed horse-carriage drivers in Central Park to new employment. However, the Transport Workers Union, representing the drivers, criticized the proposed ban, calling it a "recipe for economic disaster for immigrant workers and their families, with the strong potential of harm for the horses themselves."
Both former Mayor Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams took steps to curb the industry during their tenures. Adams issued an executive order before leaving office that would have mandated regular veterinary inspections and drug testing for carriage horses. This directive was later rescinded by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani has expressed support for ending the horse-drawn carriage industry but emphasized the need for a ban to be enacted "in partnership with community leaders [and] labor partners." He stated, "We support the spirit of the bill. We are, however, critical of the insufficiencies of the worker protections and we look forward to working with the council to address those concerns."
A survey conducted by the Central Park Conservancy this summer found that approximately 68% of New Yorkers support ending the horse-drawn carriage practice. The upcoming Council hearing follows numerous incidents involving carriage horses in Central Park, including at least four deaths since 2020, according to activists. The Conservancy reported seven industry incidents in the park within the last 13 months, including a May incident where a spooked horse overturned a carriage, injuring the driver.
Romanch Mahajan's death occurred a week after the horse Deniz died from consuming a toxic plant in Central Park. The horse's owner had faced allegations of neglect following a surprise inspection by a city-hired veterinarian.
Randy Mastro, former first deputy mayor under Adams, criticized Mamdani's administration for reversing the previous executive order. Mastro suggested that inspections should have been reviewed on a case-by-case basis, advocating for full veterinary exams and license suspensions for violations. Despite this, Mastro believes the city is "poised to see the end of the horse carriage industry, finally" due to growing momentum and support from Council Speaker Menin.