Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have struck a deal to ban horse-drawn carriages across New York City.
The legislation, set for a council-wide vote on Oct. 22, would make the centuries-old Central Park tradition illegal in all five boroughs beginning June 2028. A City Council spokesperson confirmed the Mamdani administration reviewed and approved the bill’s language ahead of the scheduled vote.
The bill carries the name of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist who was thrown to his death this summer when a horse got spooked during his ride. “The tragic and preventable death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan made clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable,” Menin said in a statement. “Horse-drawn carriages have long been part of New York City’s history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability.”
The speaker added that the legislation will require the Mamdani administration to develop a plan connecting the city’s roughly 200 carriage drivers with “new economic opportunities.”
The teenager’s family had demanded action from city leaders. At a July hearing before the City Council, the boy’s father, Deepak Mahajan, made an emotional plea tied to earlier failed legislation. “If [the prior legislation] had passed, the carriages would have stopped on June 1 — Romanch died on June 17,” he said. “This was not an unpredictable accident. Let his death not be in vain.”
Council Member Christopher Marte, the bill’s prime sponsor, framed the upcoming vote as a milestone. “We are ready to get Romanch’s Law across the finish line on October 22 and finally bring this unsafe and outdated industry to an end,” he said in a statement. “With a majority of the Council behind us, we have a historic opportunity to protect New Yorkers, visitors, workers, and animals, and we intend to finish the job.”
Animal welfare advocates have long campaigned against the carriage trade, citing horses dropping dead or fainting on the job, with several incidents occurring over the past year. Multiple horses have tried to run loose with carts still attached. Previous bills to ban the practice have been introduced and died repeatedly over the years.
Earlier iterations of the legislation were named after Ryder, a carriage horse who collapsed and later died after pulling a carriage during blistering August 2022 heat.
New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets, an organization that has championed the ban, praised the breakthrough. “With the support of the council, and the mayor, this long-overdue ban on cruel and dangerous horse-drawn carriages will pass,” the group said. “We are deeply grateful to Speaker Julie Menin for her extraordinary leadership and determination to bring this legislation across the finish line.”
The Mamdani administration emphasized its collaborative approach to the transition. “We have been working closely with the City Council, union partners, carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, and community leaders to deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all,” spokesperson Sneha Choudhary said in a statement.
The fatal incident that galvanized the latest push occurred in June when Romanch Mahajan was killed during what officials described as a freak accident. The heartbroken family declared “the industry responsible” for the teenager’s death and pressed for the five-borough ban.
The City Council is expected to vote on the measure next week.