Commuters heave sigh of relief as trams resume services after 13-day puja pause
Times of India | 23 October 2024
Kolkata: Tram services, which were suspended during the pujas, resumed on Tuesday on all three routes, much to the relief and joy of passengers. This was possibly the longest suspension of movement of Asia’s oldest tram system — 13 days — in independent India. The transport department reduced tram services from 30 routes in 2017 to just three in 2024.
Every year during the puja, trams ferry pandal-hoppers across the city. However, 2024 remained an exception. Just before the puja, transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty said trams would not ply this year as Kolkata Police had objected to its movement.
Ever since this decision, thousands of tram users and enthusiasts staged protests at different tram depots. Protests kept pouring in on social media from abroad as well. The majority of the protesters demanded the resumption of full operations of the most ‘sustainable and climate-friendly’ original electric vehicle (EV) of the city, which does not need to dispose of its battery, the most hazardous consequence of today’s EV.
But tram users and enthusiasts were also frustrated with the delay in its resumption. “We had serious doubts about the transport department's intention in running the trams. Thus, we were not surprised by this discontinuation of the services. When we called both the police and the WBTC control room, they were engaged in a ‘passing-the-buck’ game. We recorded their respective responses and prepared ourselves for a legal battle,” said Debasish Bhattacharya, president of the Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA).
A transport department officer involved with the operation of trams said there was no clearance for resumption of services despite a pre-scheduled time for its operation on Oct 16. They could resume it only on Tuesday after the clearance came.
Earlier, tram services between Ballygunge and Tollygunge were temporarily suspended in Aug due to the ongoing work at the Prince Anwar Shah Road intersection. Although the work was completed, services on this route did not resume as expected. “On Tuesday, after a trial run, the Tollygunge-Ballygunge route was resumed as well, much to the relief of passengers,” said Sagnik Gupta, a tram enthusiast.
Recently, two Thailand-based rail enthusiasts, Pong Neetiwattanapong and Peerapat, came to Kolkata from Bangkok just to experience a tram ride and were disappointed with the suspension of tram services. “Bangkok had a tram system, but it was abolished. Its abolition led to the explosive growth of cars, congestion, and emissions. There is renewed interest among Thai citizens to bring back the tram in Bangkok. This is why we wanted to experience the tram in Kolkata,” said Pong.