Kolkata Needs Its Trams Back

Growing up away from Kolkata, my summer visits to the city came with a wish list of things to do. One of my perennial requests every summer was to ride the tram. I still consider myself lucky to have been able to take the tram across the Howrah Bridge before the route was permanently closed down. The evening tram ride over the Hooghly, with the sun setting on the horizon, is etched in my memory.

Recent developments regarding the closure of all tram routes in Kolkata, is discomforting news. While the world's top cities are investing in streetcars, tramways, and light rail projects, we are closing them down in Kolkata.

I live close to Los Angeles, and I am a witness to the city’s drive towards mass transit. Los Angeles (LA), unlike New York City, Chicago, and other northeastern cities, is known for its minimal mass transit system. Add to that, the dismissive attitude towards public transport and the American inclination for private transport.

LA has not always been without a public transit system. It had an efficient streetcar system from the early 1900s to the 1950s. Automobile makers, tyre manufacturers, and oil companies systematically dismantled the streetcar system, to make way for the private automobile. This alleged plot to purchase and dismantle streetcars is now popularly known as the General Motors Streetcar conspiracy.

However, since the 1990s, the city has made a committed approach to developing a sustainable transit system. With LA set to host the 2028 Olympics, the city’s goal is to be transit-ready.

A city’s outlook of public transport is equally important and should complement its infrastructure. Mass transit is a great equaliser. World cities like New York City, Singapore and London have the affluent and the poor use mass transit without any qualm. LA is investing millions in changing the perception about public transport. Advertisements are motivating people to take up greener commute options and cut travel time. A new culture is being created to draw Americans away from self-serving private automobiles and encourage them to embrace public commuting options.

Cities around the world are investing in streetcars, trams and light rails to make commuting more accessible for the citizens of the city. Most European cities have improved upon ageing tram systems and created comfortable and efficient tram systems. Berlin is an excellent example of a tram transit city.

With an average traffic speed of 11.8 miles per hour, it is safe to say that surface transport crawls in Kolkata, which has just 6 per cent road space compared to 23 per cent in Delhi and 17 per cent in Mumbai. Congestion is a growing trend, and it is understandable that the city needs to make more space for cars. However, creating space by banning bicycles, an ill-advised decision taken in 2013, and closing tram routes can only provide short-term benefits. Even a city like LA with 14 per cent of its space dedicated solely to parking lots, understands the limits to private vehicles. It is essential that we learn from the mistakes of Western urban planners instead of recommitting them.

To avoid congestion, we should retain and develop trams and make it a chic way of commuting around the city. Investments should be made to make the trams trendy, convenient and enjoyable. An impression will have to be created among the citizens, mostly the youth, that the compassionate, eco-conscious and aspiring citizens choose the tram while the narcissistic, flashy and inconsiderate select fancy cars and loud bikes. This kind of positive peer pressure will bring people back to the tram and make it a hip way of travelling. Ridership can be boosted by starting social media campaigns. Trams are environmentally friendly and, with proper regulations, can be made speedier and efficient in Kolkata.

At a time when every city in the world is trying to cut down emissions, we are trying to take away an environmentally friendly mode of transport. While cities in the US are developing a mass transit culture, Kolkata, like many Indian cities, has an existing culture of public transit. We should encourage this practice and continue to create and sustain world-class public transport.

Let these caterpillars crawl in Kolkata!