Kolkata: The state Transport department is mulling a plan to introduce tram service in Rajarhat and New Town.
In reply to a question, the state Transport minister Suvendy Adhikari said: "Nabadiganta and Hidco are preparing a proposal to operate tram in Rajarhat and New Town. We have plans to operate trams there."
He stated in this connection that it is not possible to operate trams in a congested area. But it is possible to operate the same in Rajarhat and New Town as there is necessary space for
the same.
Introduction of tram will be eco-friendly and this comes at the time when the state government is taking a series of steps to check pollution and turn the city into a "clean and green" one.
New Town is a clean and green city and steps are already taken to conserve energy. Electric buses have been introduced, which have witnessed a footfall of around 30,000 passengers in the past three months. Bicycle sharing scheme has also been introduced as a part of the Clean and Green City mission.
Trams that were introduced in Kolkata around 1904 had passed through many congested areas. Over the years, tram services had closed in Howrah and its coverage has been reduced to Kolkata as flyovers have been constructed for faster traffic movement.
Some tram routes also had to be closed for traffic management related issues. In this backdrop, it has been proposed to introduce tram in New Town, which is not only eco-friendly but also carries twice the number of passengers a bus can accommodate. Meanwhile, the maintenance cost of trams is cheaper. It may be mentioned that at present 85 trams operate in the city.
Adhikari said tram is our heritage and there will be no dearth in ensuring the continuity of the facility. He further said air-conditioned trams operate on weekends and it attracts many people, who take a ride of the city. Moreover, there were also arrangements for Puja Parikrama in traditional air-conditioned trams. People visited Puja pandals mainly in North Kolkata in trams. The service was available on the days of Saptami
and Navami.