Save Kolkata Trams: Fighting to Save Heritage of Kolkata

Trams in the Indian city of Kolkata began in 1873. They are now operated by the West Bengal Transport Corporation. Electrification of Kolkata Trams was done back in 1902 making it the second oldest electric tramway in India after Madras. The first electric tram car in Calcutta ran from Esplanade to Kidder pore on March
27, 1902. During 1960s up to 37 lines of Trams were operating but the number has gradually declined to just 6 lines operating in the present. The reason behind this reduction in tram lines network is due to the following reasons:

• Financial Struggle
• Poor Maintenance
• Low Ridership
• Addition of Road
• Expansion of the Kolkata Metro
• Slow Tram Speed
• Thinking that Trams are outdated & occupy too much road space

Due to these reasons, there have been talks whether to shutdown or reduce the tram lines. Trams are Eco-Friendly & causes zero pollution. Kolkata is on the verge of becoming the Lung Cancer capital of India because of increasing pollution in the city. So, there have been recent efforts to Save Kolkata Trams by groups like CTUA. Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA) is a pressure group based in the Indian city of Kolkata working to create awareness about Trams & to Save Kolkata Trams. The organization was founded in December 2016.
In a Change.org petition to the Government of West Bengal, CTUA members have demanded from the state government to “declare the most congested roads as No Emissions Zone & allow only Tram, other electric vehicles and Cycles”. “Tram is a ready solution to check pollution but unfortunately, nothing much is being done for it. It is the only one in India & one of the oldest in the world. We strongly believes that the government should sustain & modernize the tramways as a part of the Biswa Bangla Initiative”, said Udit Ranjan Gupta, a Tram Enthusiast & member of CTUA.
“This mode of transport is dying fast due to adverse policies”, he further added. CTUA members suggested several measures to modernize tramways such as automated doors, digital signal boards and better acceleration and breaking systems in Tram. The group want transport department to create designated tram stops & platforms for passengers. This group has also suggested that the schedule to run tram should be made available on the Pathadisha App and synchronized with school timings so that students can use them. In an interview with me, CTUA President Dr. Debasish Bhattacharyya said, “At present we demand restoration of all closed tram routes & tram depots to functionality as it was before, say in 1980s”.