A historic vote will take place later today at the New York City Council, where lawmakers are expected to decide on a bill that would ban the city’s 150-year-old carriage horse industry.

All signs point to the carriage horse ban passing, but on Wednesday, the union representing horse drivers issued a letter, promising to challenge the bill’s constitutionality.

Deepak Mahajan, the father of Romanch Mahajan, the 18-year-old who was killed while on a tourist ride in Central Park this summer, said the vote would be part of his son’s legacy.

“It was very heartbreaking,” Deepak said on a video call from India. “We weren’t able to save our child.”

Back in June, 18-year-old Romanch’s deadly fall came after the carriage horse driver stepped away from the animal to take a family photo. Something spooked the horse, causing it to speed off and tip the carriage over, causing the accident that took Romanch’s life.

Three consecutive mayors have called for an end to carriage horses in New York City. After the death of Romanch, the movement gained new energy.

Chris Glorioso reports. 

The City Council bill to ban carriage horses was renamed Romanch’s Law, and it appears to have ample support, with more than half of the City Council sponsoring the bill. And yet, the Transport Workers Union, which represents horse drivers, continues to fight.

On Wednesday, the TWU distributed a letter, promising to challenge the legislation in court, because it guarantees no compensation for lost investments.

“The carriage horse owners have medallions, much like taxi medallions, which they bought for many thousands of dollars,” lawyers for the union shared in writing. “The pending bill just says: ‘Poof, your medallion is now worthless.'”

Back in India, the Mahajan family says the passing of the bill would be a small consolation, if New York City streets were to become safer as a result of the bill named after their son.

“We want a complete ban on horse-drawn carriages right in New York City,” the father told News 4. “We cannot bring Romanch back, but we can try to make sure that no other family suffers what we have suffered.”

Part of Romanch Mahajan’s family is expected to attend Thursday’s City Council meeting to witness voting on the carriage horse ban.

If it passes, it would not fully take effect until June 2028, when all existing licenses to drive carriage horses would expire.