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October 23, 2026 NEW YORK, NY A historic era came to a dramatic close on Thursday as the New York City Council overwhelmingly voted 40-7 to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park, ending a iconic 168-year tradition after decades of intense public outcry and a devastating tragedy.

The legislation, officially titled "Romanch’s Law," was sparked by the tragic death of Romanch Mahajan, a teenage tourist from India who was killed over the summer after being thrown from a horse carriage. The veto-proof vote marks a decisive victory for animal rights advocates, while setting the stage for an explosive legal war with labor unions.

A Decades-Long Battle Reaches a Breaking Point

For nearly twenty years, animal welfare organizations such as PETA, the ASPCA, and New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) have aggressively lobbied to shut down the carriage industry. Advocates pointed to repeated high-profile incidents involving collapsing horses, runaway carriages, and serious injuries to pedestrians as proof that the practice was fundamentally unsafe and cruel.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin championed the legislation, declaring that Mahajan’s death was "one death too many" and emphasizing that public safety must come first in Central Park.

"It’s beyond clear that New Yorkers are ready for us to evolve past the beyond-dated condition of horse carriages in Central Park," said Manhattan Council Member Christopher Marte, the bill’s primary sponsor. "We can keep Central Park as a destination for New Yorkers and tourists without relying on legalized animal cruelty that puts New Yorkers and the public at risk."

What Romanch’s Law Entails

The newly passed legislation establishes strict guidelines for phase-out and protection:

  • Complete Ban: Horse carriage operations and licensing in Central Park will be officially outlawed by June 2028.

  • Worker Transition: The mayoral administration must create a transition program offering career counseling, job training, and priority referrals for government roles within agencies like the MTA and Taxi and Limousine Commission.

  • Slaughter Protections: The law strictly prohibits former carriage horses from being sold to slaughterhouses or transferred to carriage industries in other cities.

The final transition strategy must be delivered to city leaders by April 2027.

Explosive Backlash and Threats of Immediate Lawsuits

Despite the overwhelming vote, the decision sparked furious outrage from carriage operators and Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, which represents roughly 200 workers and medallion owners.

Banned in Central Park! NYC Veto-Proof Vote Crushes 168-Year Horse Carriage Tradition After Tragic Death
Horse carriage drivers and owners protest the bill to ban their industry in the City Council chamber.
Photo: Lloyd Mitchell

Opponents argue the city is stripping away livelihoods without guaranteeing concrete compensation for workers or recovering the high costs of operating medallions, which owners purchased for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Union leaders and attorneys declared that legal action will begin immediately once the bill is signed, alleging that taking away industry licenses without direct financial compensation violates federal and state constitutional rights against uncompensated property seizures.

"We will see them in court," stated TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp. "This bill is blatantly unconstitutional, providing nothing but a plan to draft a plan. There’s nothing concrete for hundreds of workers, carriage owners, and family members who face total economic devastation... This fight isn’t over."

The bill now moves to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who can sign the measure, veto it, or allow it to pass into law automatically after 30 days. Because the council passed the measure with a veto-proof majority, the ban is all but guaranteed to become city law, shifting the battleground straight to courtroom walls.

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