Heat relief mission: State introduces AC tram for daily passengers

Kolkata: The state Transport department has introduced an air conditioned tram for daily passengers in the city.

Till now, the air conditioned trams were only used on special occasions such as birthdays of dignitaries and celebration of events. Such trams were hired for some time with a designated charge on hourly basis.

"At present, we have only four AC trams in our fleet and we have introduced one of them for daily commuters. It is aimed at providing relief to passengers in the summer months," a senior official of West Bengal Trasnport Corporation (WBTC) said.

The AC tram, which is plying from the end of April, has a fare of

Rs 20 per head. At present, the tram is plying in Shyambazar-Esplanade and Nonapukur-Esplanade routes. The tram having

a single bogey is perfectly suited for city roads, which is congested due to heavy traffic. In fact a number of tram routes in the city have been affected due to metro project work. The service of the tram is available from 10 am to 7 pm daily.

"We are getting a good response and after monitoring the number of passengers for some months. We may roll out one or two more AC trams in future," the official added. The seating capacity of the tram is 28.

The two special AC trams — Banalata and Charuibeti — that are being used for joyrides particularly during weekends have basic kitchen facilities for making tea, coffee and serving hot snacks. But, the AC tram for daily commuters will not have such facilities.

The AC buses have contributed reasonably in boosting the exchequer of the state Transport department particularly during the summer months. "We are hopeful that the AC tram also will also be a hit," the official said.