New York City lawmakers are expected to vote Thursday on a bill that would end the city’s 150-year-old horse-carriage industry. The measure appears likely to pass, but plans to address the financial impact on workers have not been finalized.
The bill was renamed Romanch’s Law after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan died during a tourist carriage ride in Central Park in June. The horse sped off after the driver stepped away to take a family photo, and the carriage overturned. More than half of City Council members are sponsoring the ban.
The Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage drivers, said Wednesday it would challenge the bill’s constitutionality in court. Union lawyers say the measure offers no compensation for owners’ medallions, which they say cost thousands of dollars.
Romanch’s father, Deepak Mahajan, said the family wants a complete ban and hopes the legislation named for his son would make New York City streets safer.
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