Elections come and go, but downward trundle continues for iconic Kolkata tram

Tram enthusiasts in Kolkata demand restoration of iconic trams for a sustainable urban transport future, despite political neglect.

On the morning of June 5, World Environment Day, when most of India was following the results of the general elections, about 70 tram enthusiasts gathered in Kolkata to demand restoration of the most environment-friendly mode of urban transport.

Their demand to restore Kolkata’s iconic trams is something no major political party ever talks of, let alone includes in a poll manifesto; in fact, if these parties had their way, the tram would have long become a thing of the past in the city. It is these activists who, sometimes with the help of the court, continue to fight for the tram’s survival, asserting that it should belong to the future and not the past.

“Our demand is that the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) begin restoration of all tram routes of Kolkata, one by one, with immediate effect. This was the demand we expressed at the June 5 event, which was organised by Tramjatra (a collaboration of trammies, tram-lovers and artists) and attended by members of heritage bodies, Kolkata Cycle Samaj, CTUA, several school children, and a Bengali band,” Debasish Bhattacharyya, a retired scientist and president of the Calcutta Tram Users’ Association (CTUA), told The Hindu.

“Government participation was nil,” said Dr. Bhattacharyya said of the event, which was presided over by G.M. Kapur of INTACH and which included a free tram ride — on a tram hired by the SwitchON Foundation — from Gariahat depot, the venue of the event, to Shyam Bazar via Esplanade and back. The ride covered two of the three tram routes that remain functional today — Gariahat to Esplanade, and Esplanade to Shyam Bazar — with the third being, Ballygunge to Tollygunge.

“WBTC has kept only these routes alive. They have even illegally removed overhead wires at Howrah Bridge terminus against the Calcutta High Court order. As a member of the court-appointed committee, I complained, but WBTC is silent on my queries. WBTC has completely ignored the court’s directive of ‘restoration, preservation and modernisation’ of Calcutta Tramway Corporation,” Dr. Bhattacharyya said.

The State government, these days, hardly speaks about trams or responds to queries related to it.

“Tram is the future of mass transport in mega cities. It is a necessity, based on economic and scientific reasons. The revival of the tram is a global phenomenon,” the CTUA president said.