Kolkata: Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty announced that the government of West Bengal will soon end the 150-year-old tram service in Kolkata, except for one heritage route from Maidan to Esplanade.
However, tram enthusiasts have chosen to take to the streets in demonstration against the ruling. Trams are still in operation only in Kolkata among all cities in the country.
Chakraborty explained that in the current circumstances, slow-moving trams causing traffic congestion during rush hours are not a viable option as commuters require faster transportation alternatives.
“To ensure that people don’t get late to office during peak hours due to traffic jams, we have to take certain difficult measures, including the withdrawal of trams,” he said.
Heritage trams, however, will run between Maidan and Esplanade so that people can have a pleasant and environment-friendly ride, the minister said.
Chakraborty mentioned that since the matter of running trams is currently awaiting a decision from the Calcutta High Court, the state government will present the same argument in the upcoming court session.
During a PIL hearing on December 11 last year, the high court proposed utilizing a public-private partnership (PPP) model to revive and improve tramcar services in Kolkata. Tram services have already been terminated on multiple routes within the city.
“Trams are undoubtedly a part of Kolkata’s heritage after their introduction in 1873 as horse-drawn carriages and played a crucial role in transportation in the previous century. But as roads comprise only 6 per cent of Kolkata’s surface area and with increase in vehicular traffic, we have observed that trams cannot ply the roads along the same routes at the same time as it is leading to congestion,” Chakraborty told PTI according to reports.
The minister mentioned that despite having the smallest road space among metropolitan cities, Kolkata Police have managed to keep traffic moving smoothly even during peak hours.
The minister mentioned that heritage trams will operate between Maidan and Esplanade for a pleasant and eco-friendly transportation experience.
In response to a question, he mentioned that the state government permits only commercial vehicles that adhere to pollution standards to operate on the roads and promotes the use of electric vehicles, which is proving to be effective.
Responding strongly to the state's declaration, the Calcutta Tram Users Association (CUTA) stated that they will organize protests outside five tram depots in the city.
“We will not let it happen. If the state government is serious about easing traffic congestion, it can remove encroachment and widen roads. Trams, which are non-polluting, are not slow-moving as their average speed is 20-30 kmph, which is the average speed of automobiles in the city,” environmental activist and tram lover Somendra Mohan Ghosh told PTI.
Kaushik Das, an association member of CUTA, said, “If the government repairs and ensures regular upkeep of tramcars lying unused in several depots for several years, they can run the fleet in a smooth manner.” The association has launched a hashtag campaign to save Kolkata trams.
“We will start a movement by this week to save trams,” Das added, according to report by PTI.
