The West Bengal government has announced that Kolkata’s 150-year-old tram service will mostly be stopped, except for one heritage route between Maidan and Esplanade, as shared by Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty. This decision has upset tram fans, who are protesting against it. Kolkata is the only city in India where trams are still running, and they have been part of the city since 1873.
Chakraborty explained that trams are slowing down traffic during rush hours, and the city doesn’t have enough road space to handle both trams and the growing number of vehicles. He said that while trams are historically important, faster transport options are needed to reduce traffic jams.
This decision is also being discussed in a legal case, where the Calcutta High Court suggested using a public-private partnership (PPP) model to save the tram service. Environmentalists and tram supporters are against the decision, saying that trams run at similar speeds to cars in the city and that proper maintenance could improve their performance. The Calcutta Tram Users Association (CUTA) has started protests and a social media campaign to save the trams and plans to increase their efforts soon.
