Bill seeking to ban horse carriages in New York city renamed after Indian teen killed in Central Park incident

Published 23 June 2026 · us

A bill that seeks to ban horse carriages in New York city has been renamed in honour of an Indian teenager, who died after sustaining

A bill that seeks to ban horse carriages in New York city has been renamed in honour of an Indian teenager, who died after sustaining injuries in a horrific carriage incident at Central Park in New York. Also read | Indian teenager dies in horse carriage accident during his first trip to New York Romanch Mahajan, 18, lost his life after he fell from a horse-drawn carriage at Central Park last week. Mahajan had jumped off the carriage in an effort to help his mother, who fell out of it as the horse bolted. A vigil was held at Central Park on Monday (June 22, 2026) to pay tributes to Mahajan. New York City Council member Christopher Marte, who organised the event, announced that a bill introduced by him, named ‘Ryder's law’, which seeks to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, will be changed to ‘Romanch's Law’ in honour of the teenager. Ryder’s law Ryder's law was named after Ryder, a 26-year-old carriage horse that collapsed in August 2022 while being forced to pull a carriage. Ryder died in October that year, and following its death, several animal rights and advocacy groups, such as The Animal Legal Defence Fund, have been calling for a legislation to ban and replace horse-drawn carriages in New York City. The bill would wind down the horse-drawn cab industry by prohibiting the issuance of new licences used in the operation of horse-drawn cabs. The operation of such cabs would be prohibited beginning June 1, 2028, the Animal Legal Defence Fund said. Reactions from vigil “What happened last week is a stain on our city.

Why aren't we taking action immediately?” Mr. Marte asked at the vigil, as he announced that Ryder’s law will be renamed as Romanch's Law. At the vigil, Mr. Marte read a letter from Mahajan’s family, who called for a ban on horse-drawn carriages after the tragedy last week. “The industry responsible for my nephew's death is preparing to resume passenger tours this Tuesday (June 23, 2026), treating the loss of Romanch's life as a temporary inconvenience. This is a profound insult to our family and a direct threat to the safety of every tourist and resident in New York City. "We demand that you use the full power of your office to halt the resumption of these rides immediately. Allowing horse carriages back on the streets while our family is planning a funeral proves that the city values tourism over human life,” the Mahajan family’s letter read, according to an excerpt published in ABC7NY news. The Animal Legal Defence Fund expressed concern at the condition of the horses and the circumstances under which the animals are made to pull carriages on crowded city roads. “Every summer, horses are used to pull carriages on hot pavements. They are subjected to breathing in heavy exhaust from the congested downtown traffic. “In winter, they endure freezing temperatures while standing unprotected from the elements, waiting for fares. Day in and day out — rain, sleet, or shine — these horses are worked, often to the point of exhaustion,” it said. The Fund noted that under the current law, drivers can work their horses nine hours a day, seven days a week. “Public safety is at risk when horses are forced to work in traffic.