Kolkata’s horse-drawn tourist carriages face renewed pressure to be replaced with heritage-style electric vehicles after former MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Deepak Mahajan, whose 18-year-old son died in a runaway horse-carriage incident in New York, separately urged West Bengal’s urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul to fast-track a reported pilot project.
The appeals followed the death of a frail and severely dehydrated horse that collapsed on a Kolkata road. Bystanders attempted to save the animal, according to the report. The incident has revived questions about the safety, welfare and regulation of horse-drawn tourist rides operating on city roads.
Chakraborty, who supports PETA India, said she was “deeply shaken” by the horse’s suffering and death. In her letter to Paul, she cited PETA India records claiming that at least 19 horses in Kolkata had died or later succumbed to road accidents and other injuries since 2024. The figures are attributed to the organisation and were not independently verified in the supplied report.
She also referred to a 2026 case in which police registered a first information report after a horse tied to a tourist carriage collapsed on the road. Chakraborty urged the state government to support a complete and urgent transition to heritage-style electric carriages, citing cleanliness and public-health concerns, including the risk of zoonotic diseases such as glanders.
The proposed alternatives are intended to retain the visual character of traditional tourist carriages while removing the need to use live animals. PETA India has described electric carriages as a humane, safer and livelihood-supporting replacement for Kolkata’s horse-drawn rides. The report said the state ministry was planning a pilot project, but it did not provide details on the number of vehicles, proposed routes, funding, operators, regulatory approvals or implementation timeline.
Mahajan’s appeal is linked to the death of his son Romanch, who was riding with family members in New York’s Central Park when the horse bolted. Romanch reportedly jumped from the carriage while attempting to help his mother and later died from his injuries. Mahajan now works with PETA India on efforts to protect families and horses associated with the carriage trade.
“No parent should ever have to endure such a loss. And no family should have to wonder whether a tragedy like ours could have been prevented,” Mahajan said, according to the report. He urged the state to act on electric alternatives rather than continue relying on horse-drawn tourist rides.
The campaign has also pointed to developments outside Kolkata. New York City Council has approved legislation known as Romanch’s Law, named after Mahajan’s son, to phase out horse-drawn carriages by 2028 after more than 160 years of operation. Chakraborty’s letter also noted that Mumbai has replaced horse-drawn carriages with Victorian-style battery-operated alternatives.
The next step in Kolkata is the reported pilot project under the state urban development and municipal affairs department. The government has not, according to the supplied report, announced a confirmed launch date, operating framework or final decision on permanently replacing the city’s horse-drawn tourist carriages.
