In a significant move to end a longstanding tradition, the New York City Council voted on Thursday (October 22, 2026) to pass legislation banning horse-drawn carriages from city streets and Central Park. The bill is named after an 18-year-old Indian tourist, Romanch Mahajan, who died following a carriage accident in Central Park earlier this year. The bill, known as Romanch’s Law, ends the historic tourist attraction after decades of debate over animal welfare and public safety.
Meanwhile, the Transport Workers Union, representing carriage owners and drivers, announced plans to seek temporary restraining orders in court, with their stance being that the law deprives business owners of their livelihood. The ban drew mixed reactions from across political and advocacy groups. Speaker Julie Menin and animal rights organisations such as PETA and NYCLASS celebrated the vote as a victory for public safety and animal welfare, with PETA offering fifty thousand dollars to assist with retiring the horses to rescue farms.
it reached a tipping point following a fatal accident in Central Park on June 17, 2026, when the Indian tourist Romanch Mahajan lost his life during a family trip when a carriage horse bolted after the driver stepped out to take a photograph Although efforts to ban or reform carriage rides date back to 2007.
