Kolkata likely to get more tram routes

Kolkata: More tram routes are being planned for Kolkata to cater to passenger requirements and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, WBTC Managing Director Rajanvir Singh Kapur said on Sunday.

A lot of tracks and overhead wire systems were damaged by uprooted trees during Cyclone Amphan, he said. Engineers of the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) have been working day and night to restore the tram tracks, Kapur added.

So far, four of the six tram routes have been restored and the fifth one is scheduled to resume service from the next week, he said. The WBTC is already running 80 electric buses in the city and it will augment the fleet by another 50 vehicles by the end of the year, he said.

"The WBTC is also stressing on opening more tram routes to reduce the greenhouse gas emission and pollution caused by diesel-run vehicles," Kapur said.

Almost one-third of the vehicular pollution in Kolkata is caused by buses due to the comparatively high emission associated with the conventional fleet, he said.

With some minor repair work being completed in the College Street-Wellington stretch, the fifth tram route between Esplanade and Shyambazar is likely to be resumed next week, he said.