Pandal hoppers in city can avail AC trams this Puja

There is good news for the pandal hoppers in the city as they can avail AC trams to reach their favourite destinations during the Puja. It has been seen over the years that the people coming from all parts of the state to witness Puja pandals often face problems as the buses remain overcrowded and it also becomes difficult to commute in the Metro due to the heavy rush of passengers on Puja days. People travelling in cars have to park their vehicles at certain points if they wish to visit a pandal. Taking advantage of the situation the taxi drivers charge the passengers exorbitantly.

Bringing a solution to these problems, the state transport department has come up with a unique idea of introducing AC trams to provide better transport facilities to the people. The Calcutta Tram Corporation (CTC) has announced the decision, taken at a high-level meeting convened by the CTC’s chairman Rachpal Singh in his recent meeting with the senior officials of the transport department.

Senior officials of the CTC have already prepared a route through which they plan to ply the AC trams and the entire plan was sent to the transport minister Suvendu Adhikari.

A senior official of the CTC has been assigned to execute the new idea. It was learnt that the CTC has the plan to introduce 5 AC trams in the current financial year but the project needs the final nod from the state transport department.

According to a senior CTC official, once the transport department clears the project, they will introduce the AC trams in this financial year, though it remains undecided in which route the AC trams would be run.

A senior official of the CTC said that tram is old and a traditional means of transport in the city and an initiative has been taken to make it more smart and modern. A guideline has already been prepared in this regard. Currently, there are 130 trams which have been plying across the city whereas around 120 trams have been lying dysfunctional at various depots.

It may be mentioned that two heritage trams in the names of ‘Balaka’ and ‘Banalota’ have become very popular. The CTC is trying to give a new shape to the trams to increase their comfort level.