A group of tram enthusiasts in Kolkata will stage a sit-in protest outside the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) headquarters on August 1, opposing what they allege is a deliberate attempt to phase out the city’s heritage tram network under the guise of road maintenance.
The Calcutta Tram Users Association (CUTA), a forum of over 600 members, accused the state government and civic agencies of systematically dismantling the once-extensive tram service. “Tram routes have shrunk from 37 in 2011 to just two at present,” said CUTA spokesperson Debashis Bhattacharya. The association alleged that KMC has been using asphalt to cover tram tracks in several areas, including Chitpur in the north and parts of south Kolkata, in violation of a recent Calcutta High Court directive prohibiting such activities. A senior KMC official denied knowledge of any bituminisation on tram tracks and maintained that current underground pipeline repair work was essential. However, CUTA questioned the continued suspension of tram services on the Tollygunge–Ballygunge route for over a year, calling it a pretext to replace trams with app-based cab and auto-rickshaw services.
“About 200 protesters will begin their demonstration outside KMC headquarters at 1 p.m. and later march along a defunct tram route,” Bhattacharya said.
According to a transport department official, the city’s tram network has been in steady decline, with operational lines reducing from 61 km in 2011 to just 12 km in 2022. Passenger numbers have also dropped from around 70,000 daily commuters in 2011 to only a few thousand today. No state funding has been allocated for trams since 2018. However, Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty has stated that the government intends to preserve tram services along select heritage routes. As the matter remains sub-judice, the government will await the court’s decision before making further moves.