The family of Romanch Mahajan — the 18-year-old tourist from India who died last week after jumping from an out-of-control horse-drawn carriage —called on Mayor Mamdani to use his executive authority to stop the planned resumption of horse carriage rides in Central Park Tuesday,
“This is a profound insult to our family and a direct threat to the public safety of every tourist and resident in New York City,” said Council Member Christopher Marte, reading from a statement addressed to Mayor Mamdani by Guarav Mahajan, Romanch’s uncle, at a gathering near the site of the teenaged Mahajan’s fatal fall. “Allowing horse carriages back onto the streets while our family is planning a funeral proves that the city values tourism over human life,” the statement continued.
The Transport Workers Union, which represents some 200 carriage-horse owners and drivers, has suspended horse-drawn carriage rides since Wednesday’s horrific tragedy, but they are expected to resume Tuesday.
The 18-year-old Mahajan, along with his mother, father and little brother, took a sightseeing ride in Central Park Wednesday, stopping to see the popular fountain on Cherry Hill, just west of Bethesda Fountain. When the family got back into the carriage, the driver stayed out to take a photo. While he was several feet away the horse bolted.
In the ensuing chaos, Mahajan’s mother was thrown from the carriage. Eighteen-year-old Romanch jumped after her. But in the process, he struck his head and was knocked unconscious. Mahajan was taken to an area hospital, where he died about 6:45 pm, according to police.
Tuesday will mark the first day of carriage horse rides returning to Central Park, after several days of what the union has described as “refresher training” for drivers.
In his statement, Mahajan’s uncle called on Mayor Mamdani to “use the full power of your office to halt the resumption of these rides immediately.”
“We urge you to work with the City Council speaker to shut down these operations permanently before another tragedy occurs,” he wrote.
The statement came alongside another from Mahajan’s uncle and the teen’s parents.
“This was not an unpredictable accident, it was a direct result of a severe safety violation and a systemic failure to protet tourists,” they wrote. “No family should ever travel to New York City for a vacation and return home mourning.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Mamdani confirmed he had received the letter from Mahajan’s uncle and reiterated the mayor’s opposition to the industry.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the Mahajan family, and are deeply troubled by the heartbreaking tragedy they experienced,” Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekeč said.
“The Mayor has been clear about his position: it is time to end the horse carriage industry in our parks.”
Pekeč said, however, the mayor would not wind down the industry through executive action. Since the horse carriage industry in Central Park was established with a local law, she said, it can only be ended through the legislative process.
Meanwhile, the legislative process is ongoing.
As previously reported by The News, Marte had earlier this month revived a bill to sunset the carriage horse industry by banning the issuance of new medallions. That law, known as Ryder’s Law for a horse that died in 2022, will now be known as “Romanch’s Law,” Marte said Monday.
Council Speaker Julie Menin — who missed the most recent vote on Ryder’s Law late last year — has scheduled a July 15 hearing for the newly-renamed bill.
In a statement Monday, the Transport Workers Union indicated it was ready to return to horse-drawn sightseeing tours on Tuesday.
“We will have safety teams in the park tomorrow when drivers return to service to provide oversight and retraining,” Alexander Kemp, an administrative vice president for the union’s Local 100, said.
The union called on the city to add hitching posts to the park where unattended horses can be secured.
“We renew our call for the Health Department, or its designee, to start regular spot checks of rule compliance in the park while we continue to consult with experts and pursue additional safety enhancements, such as tougher tests for driver applicants and new training programs,” Kemp said.
with Josephine Stratman
