City Council to Hold Hearing on Central Park Carriage Phase-Out Bill; Mayor Seeks Labor Partnership

The City Council will hold a hearing Wednesday on legislation that would phase out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, renamed Romanch’s Law after the June 16 death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan. Mahajan was thrown from a carriage pulled by a horse named Sampson while his family posed for a photo taken by the driver.

His mother, Priya, fell first, followed by the teen, who suffered fatal injuries.

The family had arrived in New York City from India three days earlier. ” The family is demanding absolute accountability. The bill, originally introduced in 2022 by then-Councilman Bob Holden and reintroduced this year by Councilman Chris Marte, would set a two-year timeline to end the carriages and transition drivers to new jobs.

Hundreds of people have signed up to testify at the hearing, including some family members expected to appear via Zoom from India and Canada. ” Former Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order before leaving office that required regular veterinary inspections and drug and injury tests for carriage horses. Mayor Mamdani scrapped that order upon taking office in January.

Randy Mastro, Adams’ former first deputy mayor, called the reversal a mistake and said the orders should have been reviewed case by case. A Central Park Conservancy survey this summer found that 68 percent of New Yorkers support ending the practice.

Activists say at least four carriage horses have died since 2020, and the Conservancy recorded seven industry incidents in the park over the last 13 months.

In May a spooked horse charged into another carriage, overturning it and injuring a coachman. Sixteen-year-old horse Deniz died after eating a toxic plant in Central Park one week before Mahajan’s death.