Carriage rides in Central Park will probably be halted completely by way of the weekend within the wake of the dying of a teen who jumped from a runaway horse carriage.
The union representing the carriage drivers mentioned in an announcement Friday that the “security stand-down” would stay in impact by way of Sunday, with no rides provided. The TWU Native 100 mentioned the horses could be taken out of the barns for train throughout that point, and drivers would evaluation security guidelines and protocols, together with the right way to “safe and keep management of carriage horse always.”
On Monday, the union mentioned there will probably be refresher trainings within the park with the carriages, however no rides with passengers will probably be allowed.
It comes following the dying of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died after he obtained off of the four-wheeled carriage as its horse sprinted by way of the park with out the motive force. The dying has intensified calls to ban the old-time attraction from certainly one of New York Metropolis’s most recognizable locations.
He’s believed to be the primary particular person to die in a horse carriage accident since they have been launched in Central Park greater than 150 years in the past, in keeping with the labor union representing the business and the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the 843-acre park.
The conservancy was amongst these arguing Thursday that the carriage business ought to be suspended till extra protections may be put in place. Mahajan’s dying was the eighth horse-related incident within the park over the previous 13 months, the group mentioned.
“The document is plain: crashes, runaways, horse deaths, accidents, and now a devastating lack of human life,” mentioned Edita Birnkrant, head of the animal welfare group New Yorkers for Clear, Livable, and Protected Streets.
Animal rights activists have lengthy mentioned the carriage horses are overworked, can get simply spooked on metropolis streets and reside in insufficient stables whereas their drivers usually flout metropolis guidelines. All of these allegations have been denied by the horse and carriage house owners, who say the animals are nicely cared for and the stables are superb.
The conservancy has argued that horses can now not safely share park roads teeming with joggers, cyclists, pedestrians and motorized scooters, noting that different U.S. cities, together with Chicago and San Antonio, have additionally not too long ago finished away with the nostalgic rides.
However carriage business leaders mentioned the deadly crash underscores the necessity for higher protections, not outright elimination of the quaint attraction that harkens again to a romanticized, bygone New York.
“We’re completely gutted and surprised by this tragedy,” mentioned Alexander Kemp, a vice chairman with the Transport Staff Union Native 100, the labor union representing carriage drivers and house owners. “We’ve shuttered the stables and ceased operations at present whereas we’ve got intensive inside discussions of security protocols and the way they are often improved.”
The rides, which price about $72 for the primary 20 minutes, may resume as quickly as Tuesday.
The proprietor of the carriage concerned within the deadly crash additionally suspended the motive force indefinitely, and has plans to retire the horse from the enterprise, in keeping with the union. It mentioned the motive force improperly dismounted to take {a photograph} of his passengers.
Celebrating a highschool commencement turned tragic
Mahajan had been on a household journey celebrating his current highschool commencement when the household determined to take a journey on one of many park’s usually photographed, richly adorned carriages.
His father, Deepak Mahajan, advised The New York Instances the household had arrived from India on Monday, the identical day Romanch realized he had been accepted to a college in Jaipur.
They’d spent the journey visiting most of the metropolis’s fashionable vacationer points of interest, together with the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.
The carriage driver hopped off to take {a photograph} of the household close to a fountain when the horse immediately bolted, Mahajan mentioned.
Romanch’s mom fell out of the carriage, and the teenager jumped out in an try to save lots of her, in keeping with his father.
“He was screaming, ‘Mother!’” Deepak Mahajan recounted to the Instances.
However Romanch hit his head on the bottom earlier than the carriage clipped one other horse-drawn car and ultimately toppled over. The daddy, his spouse and youthful son escaped with minor accidents.
“This incident ought to be taken very critically,” Mahajan mentioned. “It took my son’s dream away.”
Carriage house owners and drivers worry finish to livelihood
New York Metropolis leaders vowed to work swiftly to finish the business within the wake of Romanch’s dying.
Metropolis Council Speaker Julie Menin mentioned the legislative physique would maintain a listening to subsequent month on a long-simmering invoice that might ban horse carriages and assist drivers transition into new jobs.
In 2025, the park conservancy revived debate over the carriages when, for the primary time, it threw its assist behind what’s often known as Ryder’s Regulation.
“The time to behave is now,” she wrote on the social platform X.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani additionally reiterated his assist for ending the business, saying he’d work with the council, the business and animal welfare advocates to “ship a simply transition that protects staff whereas ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park as soon as and for all.”
Different current mayors have made comparable pronouncements. Mayor Invoice de Blasio vowed to close down the business “on Day One” in workplace, solely to come back up towards years of council opposition. Mayor Eric Adams, Mamdani’s predecessor, got here out towards the business close to the top of his single time period.
Onur Altintas, who owns 4 horses and a carriage working in Central Park, was amongst these anxious about an finish to their livelihood. He mentioned the business offers tons of of jobs to drivers, steady arms, farriers, and others in horse-related trades.
“We’re unhappy about what occurred. No person needs that. Nevertheless it’s not like that is occurring daily,” mentioned Altintas. “Automotive crashes and aircraft crashes are occurring each single day. One horse makes an accident, and the world is destroyed? Come on.”
The longtime proprietor and driver mentioned the business wants higher laws to make it safer. He mentioned “90%” of horse-related accidents might be prevented just by putting in hitching posts all through the park so drivers may safely tether and safe their horses, together with at fashionable vacationer photograph stops.
The Transport Staff Union on Thursday mentioned laws not too long ago launched into the council would just do that.
“Drivers can’t depart their carriage. They need to be on it on a regular basis,” Altintas mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s not possible. We’ve to go to the restroom. We’ve to eat. We’ve to do issues.”
Ramer reported from Harmony, New Hampshire.
