By Daniel HayesThe New York City Council approved a veto-proof measure to phase out the city’s historic horse-drawn carriage industry by June 1, 2028. Lawmakers voted 40 to 7, with two abstentions, to pass the ordinance following a fatal summer collision in Central Park that claimed the life of an 18-year-old tourist.
The legislation, titled Romanch’s Law, immediately halts the issuance of any new municipal licenses for horse-drawn cabs and mandates a complete wind-down of operations within less than two years. The statute also strictly prohibits carriage owners from selling retired horses to slaughterhouses once the ban takes effect.
The measure is named in memory of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old visitor from India who died last summer when a spooked horse bolted with his family still inside the cab. Investigators determined the runaway carriage clipped the wheel of another cab and overturned inside Central Park.
Fatal Central Park Crash Broke Years of Political Gridlock
Former Mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams had both previously supported efforts to end Central Park carriage rides, but earlier bills stalled in the City Council amid union opposition. Momentum shifted decisively after Mahajan’s death, which the Central Park Conservancy noted was the ninth carriage-related safety incident in just over a year.
Mahajan’s aunt and uncle attended the City Hall chamber session as council members cast their final votes on Thursday. Earlier in January, another loose carriage horse had bolted into street traffic and collided with several parked automobiles.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin stated prior to the roll call that 1,000-pound carriages pulled in extreme summer heat no longer belong in a park visited by 42 million people annually. Municipal policy shifts covered across US News show major cities rethinking traditional tourist attractions after public safety incidents.
Drivers Union Vows Immediate Federal Court Challenge
To assist the roughly 150 unionized carriage drivers affected by the phaseout, the ordinance establishes a municipal workforce transition program. The initiative promises career counseling, job placement assistance, retraining courses, and financial compensation for license holders.
Despite those transition provisions, Transport Workers Union Local 100 staged a protest outside City Hall and notified the municipal law department that it will seek a temporary restraining order immediately. Union Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp called the ordinance unconstitutional and argued it lacked concrete funding for displaced workers and stable owners.
Sanctuary Relocations Planned Ahead of 2028 Deadline
Animal welfare advocates and the Central Park Conservancy welcomed the council’s decisive margin, saying the two-year window provides ample time to relocate the horses to accredited sanctuaries. Under the ordinance, city agencies will track the ownership and retirement placement of every licensed carriage horse in Manhattan.
With 40 council members backing the bill, the legislation easily cleared the two-thirds threshold required to override any potential mayoral veto. Legal filings challenging the phaseout timeline are expected in court as soon as the law is formally enacted.
Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages have operated along the park’s scenic drives since the mid-nineteenth century, serving as a backdrop for countless films and tourist visits. However, urban transportation planners note that rising summer temperatures and heavier pedestrian and cycling traffic have increasingly strained the historic stables on Manhattan’s West Side.
During the two-year phaseout window leading up to June 2028, municipal animal-care inspectors will conduct monthly veterinary checks at all licensed stables. City council members backing the law pledged to work with labor representatives to ensure every displaced driver receives retraining funds and priority access to municipal transit jobs.
