NYC renames Horse Carriage Ban Bill after Indian teen Romanch Mahajan

New York: 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 here.

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 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 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.

“What happened last week is a stain on our city. Why aren’t we taking action immediately?” Marte asked at the vigil, as he announced that Ryder’s law will be renamed as Romanch’s Law.

At the vigil, 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, 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. Blinders, which prevent the horses from having a full range of vision, cannot protect them from the blaring horns, crowds of people, and constant noise of busy New York streets.

“When startled, the horses instinctively bolt. The frightened horses have run into heavy traffic and crashed into vehicles and people, causing serious injury to both the horses and innocent bystanders,” it said.

The Consulate General of India in New York had expressed condolences over Mahajan’s tragic death.

In a post on X, the Consulate said “we are deeply saddened” by Mahajan’s “untimely demise”.

“Mahajan, an Indian national, tragically lost his life following a fall from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park, New York.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his family during this difficult time. The Consulate is in touch with the family and is extending all possible assistance and support,” it said.

After Mahajan’s death, a spokesperson for the Central Park Conservancy had said in a statement that it is “absolutely devastated” to learn about the young man’s demise.

The Central Park Conservancy, which has been entrusted with day-to-day care of the iconic public space, added that “this is the tragedy we feared when we first called last year for horse carriages to be banned from Central Park due to the risks they pose to public safety and public health”.

“A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life. That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America,” the Conservancy said.

It also renewed its call to pass Ryder’s Law, which would ban horse carriages and provide transitional job placement services for drivers.

“Every day horse carriages are in the park is a day the safety of New Yorkers and visitors is in jeopardy,” it said.

There have been eight horse-related incidents at Central Park over the past thirteen months.

The latest tragedy unfolded after the carriage horse bolted when its driver stopped to take a family photograph of the Mahajans.

“We were yelling, ‘Help me, help me!’” The New York Times quoted Romanch’s father, Deepak Mahajan, as saying.

The family clung desperately to one another, but when Deepak’s wife, Priya, fell out of the carriage, Romanch jumped down to try to help her, he said.

“My son fell off as he tried to save his mother,” Deepak said.

“He was screaming, ‘Mom!'”

“The horse got scared and ran superfast,” Tatianna Bresler, who works at the Tavern on the Green, told The New York Post.

Bresler, who called 911 as soon as she saw the crash and heard screams, said a witness was able to slow down the runaway horse before the carriage flipped. Romanch hit his head on the ground and lay still.

He died on Wednesday night at the New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Centre, The New York Times reported.

The rest of the family – father, mother and Romanch’s younger brother – escaped with minor injuries, though their carriage clipped another carriage and toppled over, shattering into pieces, the report said.