Follow-Up: NYC Council Passes Romanch's Law 40-7: Horse-Drawn Carriages to Leave Central Park by June 1, 2028
NEW YORK — The New York City Council on October 22 passed Romanch's Law (Int. 943) by a vote of 40 in favor, 7 opposed and 2 abstentions, a bill that will phase out the city's horse-drawn carriage industry, with carriages to leave Central Park by June 1, 2028 at the latest. According to the Council's official press release, the law is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who was killed on June 17 when a carriage horse bolted in Central Park.
For the industry's nearly 200 horses, the legislation requires each licensed owner, by June 1, 2027, to certify to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that their horses will not be sold or transferred for slaughter, carriage work or any inhumane purpose, or to keep ownership of the horses. For workers, the mayoral administration must set up a workforce transition plan covering job referrals, career counseling, job fairs and education opportunities, and consider compensating drivers for the value of their businesses, licenses and equipment; USA Today reported the transition plan is due by April 2027. Speaker Julie Menin will also form a joint working group with administration and labor representatives.
"The tragic and preventable death of Romanch Mahajan this summer underscored the need for urgent action after decades of concern," Council Speaker Julie Menin said in the Council's release. In a statement after the vote she said: "Today's historic vote marks our commitment to animal welfare, public safety, and protecting workers." Mayor Zohran Mamdani supports the bill and is expected to sign it.
Opposition came swiftly. USA Today reported that the Transport Workers Union, which represents more than 100 carriage drivers, has vowed to sue the city to block the law and to seek a temporary restraining order as soon as it is signed. Carriage driver Alexus Lawson, 28, called the vote a "travesty" outside City Hall, saying, "New Yorkers want us. We're not going down without a fight." Ahead of the vote, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the New York City horse-drawn carriage is "a quintessential New York experience" and that it was sad to see it go for political reasons.
Horse-drawn carriages have operated in Central Park since 1858, the Council release said, and by the mid-20th century the city had limited carriage licenses to 68. The carriages became a tourism staple featured in films and shows including "Sex and the City," "Elf" and "Home Alone 2." USA Today noted that over the past five years Philadelphia, Chicago and San Antonio have also voted to ban horse-drawn carriages.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约街头的马拉马车（资料图）。照片：Heike Huslage-Koch，CC BY-SA 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons。Horse-drawn carriages on a New York street (file photo). Photo: Heike Huslage-Koch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2026-10-22Follow-Up: NYC Council Passes Romanch's Law 40-7: Horse-Drawn Carriages to Leave Central Park by June 1, 2028This story
