New York’s mayor and other leaders are seeking to ban horse-drawn carriage rides after the death of Indian teenager Romansh Mahajan.
The death of Romansh Mahajan, an 18-year-old Indian teenager, after falling from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park has reinforced calls for an end to the carriage industry. There have been eight horse-related accidents in Central Park over the past 13 months, but this was the first human death involving a horse-drawn carriage since it was introduced in Central Park more than 150 years ago.
There have already been calls to suspend horse carriages because they pose a public safety risk in crowded areas, and they have already been suspended in other American cities such as Chicago and San Antonia.Romansh Mahajan was on a family trip to celebrate his high school graduation and jumped out of the stroller after his mother fell and hit his head on the ground. The mother, father and younger son survived with minor injuries while Romansh Mahajan died.
Their carriage collided with another horse-drawn vehicle and overturned.The family arrived in New York from India on Monday, the same day Romanesh learned he had been accepted into a university in Jaipur. They spent the day visiting many of the city’s popular tourist attractions and were resting on a carriage ride when the driver got out to photograph them. Moments later, the accident occurred.“This incident must be taken seriously,” Mahajan said.
“It took my son’s dream away.”The company that owned the carriage suspended the driver and decided to retire the horse from work. “We are shocked and appalled by this tragedy,” said Alexander Kemp, vice president of the Transportation Workers Local 100, a labor union that represents truck drivers and owners. “We have never been involved in a fatal accident like this before.” “We have closed the stables and suspended operations today while we have extensive internal discussions about safety protocols and how to improve them.
“City Council leaders said they will hold a hearing next month on Ryder’s Law, a bill supported by the county. Mayor Zahran Mamdani also reiterated his support for ending the industry, a position he made in his election campaign last year. He said he would work with the council, industry and animal welfare advocates to “provide a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all.”
“The Transportation Workers Union, which has opposed previous efforts to shut down the industry, backed legislation last week that would create tether points throughout the park so drivers can safely tether and secure their horses, including at popular tourist photo stops.
