Horse-drawn carriage rides in New York on hold after teen tourist’s death

Horse carriage rides in Central Park are on hold at least until Tuesday, the union representing drivers said, as safety protocols are reviewed in the wake of a death of a young tourist who jumped from a runaway horse carriage.

Alexander Kemp, administrative vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said in a statement Friday that “our hearts go out to the family” of Romanch Mahajan, 18, who died Wednesday after he hit his head while jumping off the four-wheeled carriage as its horse sprinted through the park without the driver.

“Words can’t express the enormity of this tragedy,” Kemp said. “We are taking the first steps towards addressing safety issues.”

Among the safety protocols to be reviewed are how to maintain control of the carriage horses at all times, he said.

Kemp said at a news conference Friday that the union is putting together the new safety training protocols with feedback from the horse carriage operators that will be rolled out next week and that about 200 carriage owners and drivers will be required to follow.

Mahajan is believed to be the first person to die in a horse carriage accident since they were introduced in Central Park more than 150 years ago, according to the labor union representing the industry and the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the 843-acre (341-hectare) park.

Mahajan had traveled from India with his family to celebrate his recent high school graduation when the family decided to take a ride on one of the park’s often photographed, richly decorated carriages, his father told The New York Times.

The carriage driver hopped off to take a photograph of the family near a fountain when the horse suddenly bolted. Romanch’s mother fell out of the carriage, and the teen jumped out in an attempt to save her, according to his father.

The Central Park Conservancy was among those arguing Thursday that the carriage industry should be suspended until more protections can be put in place. Mahajan’s death was the eighth horse-related incident in the park over the past 13 months, the group said.

The conservancy has argued that horses can no longer safely share park roads teeming with joggers, cyclists, pedestrians and motorized scooters, noting that other U.S. cities, including Chicago and San Antonio, have also recently done away with the nostalgic rides.

But carriage industry leaders said the fatal crash underscores the need for better protections, not outright elimination of the quaint attraction that harkens back to a romanticized, bygone New York.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani reiterated his support for ending the industry, saying he’d work with the council, the industry and animal welfare advocates to “deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all.”

Other recent mayors have made similar pronouncements. Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to shut down the industry “on Day One” in office, only to come up against near the end of his single term.

Kemp said Friday that the union wanted to “do all that we can, collaborating with the City, to improve safety and prevent any accidents from occurring as we move forward.”

The union said it supported increased oversight of drivers including regular checks in the parks and enforcement of protocols that require drivers to be in their seats when passengers get on board, throughout the ride and when they exit. Idle horses should also be tethered.

Animal welfare activists have long said the carriage horses are overworked, can get easily spooked on city streets and live in inadequate stables while their drivers regularly flout city rules. All of those allegations have been denied by the horse and carriage owners, who say the animals are well cared for and the stables are fine.