NEW YORK CITY — Horse-drawn carriages have traveled through New York City’s Central Park for over 160 years. This Thursday, the New York City Council is scheduled to vote on a bill that would end the tradition by banning horse-drawn carriage operations starting June 1, 2028.
The legislation, known as Romanch’s Law, has received support from both Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin.
Atakan Aktay, a Turkish immigrant who has worked in Central Park’s carriage industry for 13 years, warned: “It’s going to be a disaster for me, for my family. I cannot pay my bills.”
The bill follows the death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, an Indian tourist vacationing with his family in New York City last June. During a carriage ride through Central Park, the driver stepped away to take a photograph of the family when the horse suddenly bolted, hurling Mahajan’s mother from the carriage. Mahajan leaped out after her and struck his head on the ground, sustaining fatal injuries.
Supporters of the ban argue that eliminating the industry would protect both horses and the public. However, drivers say the legislation threatens to dismantle their livelihoods, which they have built over decades.
