The New York City Council will hold a historic vote on Thursday, with lawmakers expected to decide on a bill that would ban the city’s 150-year-old horse-drawn carriage industry.
All signs point to the horse-drawn carriage ban passing, but on Wednesday, the union representing grooms issued a letter pledging to challenge the bill’s constitutionality.
Deepak Mahajan, the father of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who was killed while traveling in Central Park this summer, said the vote would be part of his son’s legacy.
“It’s very heartbreaking,” Deepak said during a video call from India. “We failed to save our children.”
Back in June, 18-year-old Romanchi fell and died after a coachman left the animals to take a family photo. Something disturbed the horse, causing it to speed off and cause the carriage to overturn, causing the accident that claimed Romanchi’s life.
Three consecutive mayors have called on New York City to stop horse transport. After Romanchi’s death, the sport gained new energy.
The city council’s bill to ban horse transport, renamed Romanche’s Law, appears to have ample support, with more than half of city councilors supporting it. However, the Transport Workers’ Union, which represents grooms, continues to fight.
On Wednesday, the TWU circulated a letter pledging to challenge the legislation in court, as it guarantees there will be no compensation for investment losses.
“Carriage horse owners own medals, just like taxi medallions, and they spend thousands of dollars to purchase them,” attorneys for the union shared in the writing. “The pending bill just says: ‘Pfft, your medal is worthless now.'”
Back in India, the Mahajan family said the passage of the bill would be a small consolation if New York City’s streets were made safer by the bill named after their son.
“We want a total ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York City,” the father told News 4. “We can’t bring Romanche back, but we can work to ensure that no other family suffers what we have suffered.”
Some of Romanchi Mahajan’s family are expected to attend Thursday’s City Council meeting to witness the vote on the horse-drawn carriage ban.
If the bill passes, it will not take full effect until June 2028, when all existing horse-drawn carriage licenses will expire.