Why one of NYC’s longstanding symbols is set to disappear
New York City’s horse-drawn carriages could disappear under legislation proposing a ban from June 2028, as concerns over passenger safety and animal welfare fuel efforts to end the familiar tourist attraction, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
The proposal, known as Romanch’s Law, is named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park in June. He was visiting New York to celebrate his high school graduation. His death brought renewed urgency to the debate over whether carriage rides should continue operating in the park.
“His death was heartbreaking, and it was preventable,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin said in an official statement announcing her support for the legislation in July.
Menin became the first sitting City Council speaker to publicly endorse ending horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park. She said the transition should protect New Yorkers, international visitors and the horses, while providing employment opportunities for people whose livelihoods depend on the industry.
The teenager’s death followed the death of a carriage horse in Central Park a week earlier. The incidents intensified scrutiny of an industry already facing longstanding concerns over animal welfare and public safety.
Under the proposed legislation, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, horse-drawn cab operations would be prohibited from June 1, 2028. The measure would wind down the industry by stopping the issuance of new operating licenses, with existing driver licenses eligible for limited renewals until the deadline.
The proposal also addresses what would happen to the animals. Carriage horses could not be sold or transferred for slaughter, or sent to another horse-drawn cab business.
For drivers and other affected employees, the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection would administer a workforce development program to help them move into other fields of employment.
Menin has identified hospitality and tourism among the sectors where displaced workers should have access to quality jobs. The planned phaseout therefore seeks to combine an end to carriage rides with protections for both workers and horses.
The ban has not yet become law and remains subject to legislative approval.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that site preparation is underway for a 102-meter-tall detention facility in New York City’s Chinatown, expected to become the world’s tallest correctional facility.