Lawmaker, public commenters urge New York City Council to adopt "Romansha's law" banning Central Park carriage rides

A lawmaker told the New York City Council that "With Romansha's law, the council is focused on ending that tradition while supporting the workers whose livelihoods depend on it," presenting the proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park as a safety and labor-policy measure.

The lawmaker framed the proposal as a response to a recent death. A public commenter said the loss "forces society to change so that no other family has ever to carry what we carry now." Another speaker named the victim as "Ramesh Mahajan," using the personal detail to press the council for action.

A resident who said she moved to New York City 40 years ago recounted seeing a horse in traffic from a taxi and questioned the animals' presence amid city traffic and heat, saying she had long been told a ban was coming and that it now seemed likely to pass.

A family member said a version of the bill was before the council last year and "if it had passed, the carriages would have stopped on 06/01/2026," adding, "Our son, Bush, will still be alive today," and called for a "full and complete ban." The family member argued that only a comprehensive prohibition would prevent further deaths.

Speakers emphasized two policy aims: ending the carriage tradition in Central Park for safety reasons and including provisions to support workers whose livelihoods depend on carriage operations. The transcript includes no formal motion or vote; it records only public appeals and a lawmaker's framing of the proposed ordinance. The transcript does not specify legislative text, timing for a vote, or details of any worker-support program.

Next steps were not recorded in the provided transcript.