🐴 BREAKING: NYC ends 160-year horse carriage era after Indian teen's death
The New York City Council voted 40–7 on Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park and city streets by June 1, 2028 — ending a tradition that began when the park opened in 1858.
The law is called "Romanch's Law," named for 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan of Pathankot, Punjab, who died on June 17 after jumping from a runaway carriage to save his mother, when the horse bolted while the driver briefly stepped away to take a photo.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani backed the ban; the city must prepare a transition plan for ~200 drivers by April 2027, and retired horses cannot be sold for slaughter. President Trump blasted the move on Truth Social, and the drivers' union has vowed a court fight.