An Indian family’s New York vacation turned into a nightmare on June 17, when 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan died after falling from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park in an attempt to save his mother Priya Mahajan who fell from the carriage first. The carriage driver briefly stepped away to take a photograph when the family was inside the carriage. The horse suddenly bolted in the absence of the driver nd Romanch’s mother fell. Romanch immediately jumped from the moving carriage and suffered a fatal head injury. He later died at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical center.Romanch’s parents appealed to the administration to ban horse-drawn carriages so that no other family has to go through what they did. A bill was drafted to ban horse carriages in NYC and it was named after the Indian teen — Romanch’s law. The bill is now expected to be brought to the council floor for a voter later this month. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin reached a deal on the legislation.The ban will be implemented in phases and will take effect on June 1, 2028.“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. Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on Romanch’s Law to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves.”
What will happen to these horses, drivers and the owners?
The bill has provisions requiring the horse owners to notify the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare before disposing of the animals. The bill prohibits the owners from selling the horses or to transfer them for slaughter of for use in another horse-drawn business. For drivers, the bill has industry transition framework in which the NYC council will have to come up with a plan to help these workers transition into new jobs. They will be trained through other agencies, including the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, the MTA, NYC Transit, the Port Authority and hospitality and tourism industries, where they will eventually get jobs.Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen said there is no meaningful economic relied for the workers. “It only says the city should prepare a worker transition plan by April 2027 and include weak measures like job fairs and job counseling,” he said calling the move a disgraceful political opportunism.