The Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal has decided to soon shut down the 150-year-old tram service in Kolkata except for the only heritage section from Maidan to Esplanade. Bengal Transport Minister Snehasish Chakraborty has given this information. However, tram lovers have decided to take to the streets in protest against this decision.
Transport Minister of Kolkata said this
West Bengal government's Transport Minister Snehasish Chakraborty has announced that Kolkata's iconic trams will soon be discontinued. However, he has decided to continue the only heritage route from Maidan to Esplanade. Kolkata is the only city in India where tram service is still running. It recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. This has hurt the sentiments of the people and many tram lovers have decided to protest the decision.
Chakraborty said that slow-moving trams are inconvenient as passengers need faster modes of transport. Trams are said to be the most popular mode of commuting when they were first introduced in Kolkata. The first trams introduced in 1873 in the British capital Calcutta were horse-drawn. They ran on a 3.8 km route between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street. However, they were discontinued within a year due to financial issues.
When and where did the first tram run?
These horse drawn tramcars reached Bombay in 1874 and ran on two routes. Colaba to Pydhoni via Crawford Market and Bori Bunder to Pydhoni. Gradually tram taxis started running on an 8 km route in Nasik and in 1886 tramcars became popular in Patna, Bihar. However these vehicles were not viable as they required a lot of horse labour.
Lord Ripon gave a new lease of life to trams in Calcutta
In 1880, Lord Ripon revived trams in Calcutta. As a result, the Calcutta Tramway Company experimented with pulling these trams using steam engines to make them economical. Though the speed of the tramcars improved, it created more problems like pollution. This became one of the reasons why other states never converted their trams from horse-drawn to steam engines.
From where did the first tram run in Kolkata
In 1895, Madras (present-day Chennai) introduced the country's first electric tramcars. These trains connected the coastal areas of the city to other areas. These were better than the steam trams. Because they were less noisy and produced less pollution. Calcutta too had upgraded its trams to electric ones by 1902. The first trams ran between Esplanade and Kidderpore and Esplanade and Kalighat.
Where and when did the tram stop
Gradually, tram lines were built in Kanpur, Delhi and Bombay too. But this glory did not last long. Trams were gradually phased out due to better alternative transport means and economic reasons. Patna was the first city to discontinue trams in 1903 due to low ridership. Then came Nasik and Kanpur in 1933, Madras in 1953, followed by Delhi and Bombay in 1963 and 1964 respectively.
Tram journey continues in Kolkata for 150 years
Kolkata was the only city that did not break its ties with the past. For 150 years, trams carried people and goods across the city. However, it seems that Bengal too has given up on these old, slow trams that served as Kolkata's cultural identity for so long.
Started out as a horse carriage in 1873
Bengal Transport Minister Snehasish Chakraborty said that trams are undoubtedly a part of Kolkata's heritage. They started as horse-drawn carriages in 1873 and played a vital role in transport in the last century. But since Kolkata has only six per cent of its total area covered by roads and with the increase in vehicular movement, we have seen that trams cannot run on roads with other vehicles on the same route at the same time as it is causing congestion.
Case in Calcutta High Court
Chakraborty said that since the issue of running trams is now pending in the Calcutta High Court, the state government will make the above argument in the next hearing. The High Court, while hearing a PIL, had suggested on December 11 last year that the public-private partnership (PPP) model could be used to restore and revive tram services in Kolkata. Tram services have already been discontinued on several routes in the city.
Why is it necessary to remove the tram?
The minister said that despite having the least road area in the metropolis, Kolkata Police has maintained smooth traffic even during peak hours. He said that to ensure that people do not get delayed in reaching their offices during peak hours due to traffic jams, we have to take some tough steps, including removal of tram services.
Protest against closure announcement
The transport minister said the heritage trams, however, will be run between Maidan and Esplanade so that people can enjoy a comfortable and eco-friendly ride. Reacting sharply to the state government's announcement to discontinue the tram service, the Calcutta Tram Users' Association (CUTA) said it would hold protests in front of five tram depots across the city.
Trams do not cause pollution
Environment activist and tram enthusiast Somendra Mohan Ghosh said we will not let this happen. If the state government is serious about reducing traffic jams, it can remove encroachments and widen roads. Trams do not cause pollution. Trams do not run slow as their average speed is 20-30 kmph, which is the average speed of other vehicles in the city. Kaushik Das, a member of CUTA, said if the government ensures repairs and regular maintenance of tramcars lying idle in different depots for several years, they can run their fleet smoothly.