The Daily Populous Saturday June 20th, 2026 day edition
Authored by abcnews.com and submitted by FolushoDRC

The City Council is considering a bill that would permanently ban the service

An 18-year-old man was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition after he fell from a horse carriage in Central Park on June 17, 2026, the NYPD said.

Horse-drawn carriage rides will be suspended in Central Park until next week following the death of an 18-year-old Indian tourist who was in a runaway carriage with his family.

The move comes after growing calls from advocates and elected officials to fully ban the rides following a string of incidents over the last year where people and the horses were put in danger.

The Transport Workers Union announced Thursday, a day after Romanch Mahajan was killed, that rides would be suspended while they assess safety protocols. The union announced on Friday that the suspension would continue until at least Tuesday.

An 18-year-old man was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition after he fell from a horse carriage in Central Park on June 17, 2026, the NYPD said. WABC

The 18-year-old victim was with his parents and younger brother in a carriage Wednesday afternoon when the driver got out to take a picture of the family and suddenly the horse took off "for unknown reasons," according to the TWU and police.

The carriage clipped the wheel of another carriage and toppled, according to TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp.

Mahajan fell out of the carriage, and died at the hospital later in the afternoon, police said.

Deepak Mahajan, the victim's father, told the New York Times Thursday that his son jumped out of the carriage to help his wife, Priya, who fell out of the carriage first.

This was the first time the family had visited New York City, Deepak Mahajan told the Times.

The other family members suffered minor injuries, police said. This is the first time a person has been killed during a carriage ride in the park, according to the union.

An investigation is ongoing, police said.

The carriage driver was suspended and the horse, which had only been in the park for six weeks, was retired from service, according to the TWU.

"Our hearts go out the family of Romanch Mahajan. Words can't express the enormity of this tragedy. We are taking the first steps towards [addressing] safety issues," Kemp said in a statement Friday.

The union said while the carriage service is suspended, drivers will "participate in group meetings to go over safety rules and protocols regarding carriage operations, including how to secure and maintain control of carriage horses at all times."

In this Aug. 3, 2022, file photo, people ride in a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park on a hot day in New York. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

"On Monday, refresher training will shift to Central Park with horse-drawn carriages, but no passenger tours will be conducted until Tuesday," the union said.

The horses will still be walked outside of their barn in the park for exercise during the service suspension, according to the TWU.

Despite these actions, several prominent city groups, including the Central Park Conservancy, have called for a permanent ban on horse-drawn carriages, citing several safety incidents.

There have been eight such incidents in the last 13 months, according to the conservancy, including one in January where a horse ran into traffic and struck several cars.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced Wednesday that the council will hold hearings in July for a bill dubbed "Ryder's Law," which would ban horse drawn carriages in parks starting in 2028.

The bill, which is named after a horse that collapsed and died in Manhattan in 2022, would "require humane disposition of carriage horses, prohibiting their sale or transfer for the purposes of slaughter or use in another horse-drawn cab business," and provide drivers with workforce training to transition into new jobs.

As of Friday, the bill has 14 sponsors.

"The essential nature of a 2,000-pound animal simply cannot be regulated. Every day horse carriages are operating in the park is a day the safety of New Yorkers is in jeopardy. We cannot undo the tragedy of earlier this week, but ending the practice of carriages in the park will ensure no other families suffer," a spokesperson for the Central Park Conservancy said in a statement Friday.

The TWU has pushed back against calls to ban the carriages but said it is open to reforms.

The union said Friday that it supported "regular in-the-park checks and enforcement," of regulations, including driver licenses, proper handling of the carriages and proper carriage tethering.

In this Aug. 3, 2022, file photo, a horse-drawn carriages with customers rides through Central Park on a hot day in New York. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

The union also backed a separate City Council bill that only has eight sponsors, which would make several changes to horse carriage regulations, including more training and hitching posts in the park to tether the horses.

"This is believed to be the first passenger fatality in all that time, but we are committed to a Vision Zero approach where we do all that we can, collaborating with the city, to improve safety and prevent any accidents from occurring as we move forward," Kemp said.

Cinnamaker on June 19th, 2026 at 22:22 UTC »

The NYC City Council would need to ban horse carriages.

The carriage operators are part of the Transport Workers Union, which includes subway and bus workers in the city. The TWU strongly oppose a ban: it is very protective of its members' jobs.

Mayor De Blasio campaigned for mayor on banning horse carriages, but his efforts did not clear the City Council.

Mayor Adams resurfaced the issue when some incidents happened during his term, but his proposals didn't even clear committee to be voted on by City Council.

Current Mayor Mamdani has said he would support a ban, and be willing to work with City Council and unions on something. In any case, it would ultimately be City Council's decision and not the mayor's.

Upsetting a powerful local union is a political third rail and does not seem to be something City Council members have been willing to stick their necks out for. Telling any labor union to pound stand is also not going to go over well with other unions.

People have opinions about horse carriages, and there have been high profile incidents in the past. But I do not think it ever becomes a big enough political issue to move City Council members.

mikecws91 on June 19th, 2026 at 22:19 UTC »

We got rid of horse-drawn carriages in downtown Chicago a while ago and exactly zero people miss them.

Dangerous_Loquat_458 on June 19th, 2026 at 22:01 UTC »

didn't a horse also die recently?