Bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC to be presented at council hearing Wednesday

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The debate over horse-drawn carriages in New York City is back in the spotlight.

On Wednesday, the City Council will take up legislation to phase out the industry.

The latest push follows the death of an 18-year-old tourist in Central Park, who was killed after being thrown from a carriage he was riding in.

Council Speaker Julie Menin said she will support the legislation.

It requires as many as five more council members to sign on.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he backs the goal of the bill, but won't be fully on board until stronger worker protections are included.

"I think that worker protections in that transition are critical," the mayor said. "And I think that there is an opening for us to have that conversation while we sunset this industry."

The family of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, the Indian tourist killed in a June 17 horse carriage in Central Park, will attend the hearing.

The bill has been renamed Romanch's Law in his memory.

On Tuesday, Mamdani reaffirmed his campaign promise to phase out the 400-year horse carriage in New York City.

"I think I've said over the course of both the campaign and while in office that I believe that we have to bring the industry to an end," Mamdani said.

"Initially it's been called Ryder's law named after a horse who passed away from, from working in Central Park. A month ago, a tourist from India died because of horse got spooked and ran off. So now it's called Romanch's Law," NYC Council Member Christopher Marte said.

The week before Mahajan was fatally tossed from a carriage, a horse died after eating a poisonous plant.

In August 2022, Ryder collapsed in Hell's Kitchen and later died.

"I introduced this bill two months ago, and I made this version particularly to include a workforce development concept into this bill," Marte said.

"This is the part that, you know, the city council seems to not be understanding that these are small businesses. I mean, people that have worked for decades in some cases to save up and buy a medallion," Christina Hansen with TWU Local 100 said.

Just like TLC drivers, carriage horse owners buy, sell or inherit their medallions, which have been capped at 68 since the end of WWII.

"We were told there wasn't room then. But since then, we've added hundreds of pedi-cabs, thousands of e-bikes, and, you know, there's still the same 68 carriages. And now they're trying to tell us that there isn't room for us anymore," Hansen said.

The current City Council bill to ban horse-drawn carriages was introduced on June 11, on the same day a counter bill was introduced to conduct a study and reform the industry.

The debate is passionate on both sides.

"People choose to work with horses because we love horses, not because you want to go stacked boxes in an Amazon warehouse," Hansen said.

"I don't question their love for, for their for their horses. I do question the safetiness," Marte said.

"We support the spirit of the bill. We are, however, critical of the insufficiencies of the worker protections and we look forward to working with the Council to address those concerns, as we move forward on an important issue for New Yorkers," Mamdani said.

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