Romanch Mahajan’s Family Says They Can No Longer Remain Silent After The Incident That Changed Their Lives Forever — But The Emotional Case They Are Now Making For A Sweeping Change To One Of New York City’s Most Controversial Traditions Is Quickly Capturing National Attention

Stricken kin of the teen tourist fatally tossed from a Central Park horse carriage demanded Monday that the city ban the industry — saying anything less suggests his death was just “a temporary inconvenience.’’

Tragic Romanch Mahajan’s grieving family said in an emotional letter read at a vigil for him in the park that the city needs to take “immediate decisive action … to permanently phase out horse-drawn carriages before another life is lost.

Four people posing in a Central Park horse carriage.
Romanch Mahajan, 18, sits next to his mother and across from his father and little brother in the fated Central Park horse carriage just before last week’s tragedy.Obtained by NY Post
A horse-drawn carriage overturned on a city street, cordoned off by a blue tape.
Romanch was fatally tossed from the carriage when the horse bolted.Jordan Donegan

“The industry responsible for my nephew’s death is preparing to resume passenger tours this Tuesday, treating the loss of Romanch’s life as a temporary inconvenience,” said Gaurav Mahajan, Romanch’s uncle, in the letter to the mayor’s office.

Such a move is a “profound insult to our family and a direct threat to the public safety of every tourist and resident in New York City,” Gaurav said.

“Allowing these carriages back onto the streets while our family is planning a funeral proves that the city values an antiquated novelty over human life,” he said.

Romanch Mahajan in a red and white striped shirt, standing with his arms crossed in front of a fountain.
The teen had just graduated from high school in India and was looking forward to a college career.

“We demand that you use the full power of your office to halt the resumption of these rides immediately.”

A temporary moratorium on the rides was voluntarily instituted by the drivers’ union after Romanch, 18, died during a carriage ride with his parents and little brother Wednesday while in town from India to celebrate his high-school graduation.

The carriage driver alleged flouted safety protocols and got out to take photos of the family when the horse bolted.

The embattled local industry’s temporary halt on the rides is set to be lifted Tuesday.

“We will have safety teams in the park tomorrow when drivers return to service to provide oversight and retraining,” said TWU Local 100 Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp, who represents more than 300 horse carriage drivers and owners, in a statement.

A man in a suit speaks at a press conference with microphones in front of him and people standing behind him.
City Councilman Chris Marte speaks at Monday’s vigil for Romanch.James Messerschmidt for the NY Post

“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.”

Monday’s vigil was held in honor of Romanch and also to announce that Ryder’s Law, a bill before City Council that would phase out the horse carriages, was being changed to Romanch’s Law by its latest sponsor, Councilman Chris Marte.

A woman holding an umbrella and wearing sunglasses and a white shirt that reads "FREE THE HORSES."
An anti-horse-carriage activist attends Monday’s vigil.James Messerschmidt for the NY Post

Under the bill, it would take two years to phase out the carriages to fully transition their drivers to new jobs, Marte said at the vigil, which was attended by about a dozen people consisting of his staff and animal advocates.

But Marte said he is focused on ending the practice as soon as possible and is “happy to discuss” additional safety measures in the meantime.

“What I want is to end this practice immediately,” the pol said at the vigil. “We don’t think that it should take another two years where we can allow the risk to be living in our park and in our city.”

Activists noted City Hall could halt the industry by filing an emergency injunction against the drivers.

But a City Hall rep Monday argued that the industry is authorized by local law and must also be undone by the same process.

Vigil at the Bethesda Fountain with flowers, candles, and a picture of a young man.
Flowers are laid for Romanch during the vigil.James Messerschmidt for the NY Post

An executive order can’t be issued to terminate the industry, as those can only be issued when there is a “disaster” defined in part by widespread damage or loss of life, the representative said.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the Mahajan family, and are deeply troubled by the heartbreaking tragedy they experienced,” Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec told The Post. “The mayor has been clear about his position: It is time to end the horse carriage industry in our parks.

“We look forward to working with City Council, union partners, carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, and community leaders to deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all.”

The proposed legislation to ban the carriages was first pitched in 2022 by former city Councilman Bob Holden weeks before tragic horse Ryder collapsed and later died. It has yet to see a vote.

In November, the City Council’s health panel refused to advance it out of committee despite support from the Central Park Conservancy and then-Mayor Eric Adams.

People holding flowers and a photo of a young man, possibly at a vigil.
Animal activist Edita Birnkrant (center) helps honor the killed teen tourist.James Messerschmidt for the NY Post

But Marte said support from City Council Speaker Julie Menin after Romanch’s death marked a turning point, with a hearing on the bill now set for July 15.

“Typically, what we’ve seen is every administration from the de Blasio administration make promises that were never kept,” he said.

“But now we have an opportunity to really pass this legislation and permanently end this practice here in Central Park.”

Former city councilman Sen. Erik Bottcher said at the vigil that Romanch’s “death was not unpredictable.

“In fact, his death was predicted. It was said many times that someone was gonna be killed,” Bottcher said.

“I am haunted by the photograph of Romanch’s mother cradling her son on the pavement with his little brother standing over her shoulder,” he said.

“Shame on us if we let this happen again.”

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