Commuters apprehensive over tram no-show after Durga Puja
Times of India | 20 October 2024
Kolkata: The shutdown of tram services since Oct 9 is the longest in recent years, with transport department employees and tram enthusiasts fearing that the govt may have used the break in operations, citing Durga Puja, to stop the service permanently.
Trams on the two routes that were operational before puja were supposed to resume runs on Oct 16 but have not, as permission has not been granted by the authorities concerned, including Kolkata Police.
“There is a passing-the-buck game between the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC). Kolkata traffic police control room said that there is no more restriction on the movement of trams after the Oct 15 carnival. WBTC control room said that tram services could not be resumed because of the objection from the traffic police. We have recorded both conversations and will submit them in court,” said Calcutta Tram Users’ Association (CTUA) president Debasish Bhattacharya.
Tram drivers and conductors at the Gariahat tram depot, who received new uniforms and bags and were waiting to resume work from Oct 16, are in a quandary over why the services are still suspended. Tram No. 25, which used to operate from Gariahat to Esplanade, is one of the two tram routes that were in operation till recently.
Transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty, prior to the festival, said the transport department did not want to run trams, except for a joy ride between Esplanade and the Royal Calcutta Turf Club along the Maidan. The WBTC had been operating a very irregular service on three routes: Shyambazar-Esplanade, Gariahat-Esplanade, and Tollygunge-Ballygunge. However, the Tollygunge-Ballygunge service was suspended a couple of months ago, citing road construction work. This route was also supposed to resume on Oct 16.
“Complete suspension of tram services for such a long time has never happened. A lot of commuters who rely on trams, despite their irregular services, have complained to us. We checked with WBTC to find that because of the objections from traffic police, it could not be resumed,” said Bhattacharya.