Transport experts proposed recommendations to resurrect Kolkata’s trams at a meeting on Wednesday as part of the 150th-year celebration of the city’s trams.
Experts countered the ‘heritage’ tag for Kolkata’s trams. They said trams ply in 400 major cities in the world as an important part of transport infrastructure.
Transport minister Snehasish Chakrabarty, at the inauguration of the celebration, had said the state government would keep few trams as heritage arguing that the city’s roads were too narrow.
“If there can be private buses, why not public trams? The private-public partnership option should be explored for running trams. With rising air pollution, trams are an important part of public transport even in congested cities of the world,” said Bhargav Maitra, a professor at IIT Kharagpur and a transport expert.
“Trams should be encouraged as a major e-vehicle,” said Hong Kong-based transport expert Alok Jain.
“We will soon share our views on reviving trams with the government,” stated Mahadeb Shi, filmmaker and tram activist.