With the West Bengal Transport Minister, Snehasish Chakraborty, announcing, in end-September, the virtual closure of trams, Kolkata’s heritage transport system is now facing an existential crisis. The state plans to shut down most networks, preserving only a short route from Esplanade to Maidan, with trams branded as ‘slow’ and a cause of traffic congestion. The death knell is delayed because of public interest litigation in the Calcutta High Court by environmental activists. In any event, the city’s tram networks have been shrinking gradually since the 1990s as policymakers began to prioritise roadbased transportation, going against the global trend.
The decline has been particularly steep since 2011. Over the past 13 years, functional routes have dwindled from 37 to three. This policy of facilitating vehicular traffic by shutting down an environment-friendly and affordable mass transport system is based on outdated thinking and needs to be questioned. Globally, trams and light rails are now undergoing a renaissance as cities worldwide try to reduce fossil fuel emissions. The number of cities having functional tram/LRT systems has crossed 400 and an average of 6.5 new systems are being added every year since 2015. Even Istanbul, one of the oldest cities in the world, with a high-density urban core, narrow, congested roads and uneven topography, had substantially augmented its already formidable tram network by adding newer lines. Hong Kong, another densely populated city, also runs a highly popular doubledecker tramway. As Kolkata faces a severe pollution and congestion crisis, it is time to reappraise the automobilecentric mobility policy.
It was ranked 12 in the list of 20 millionplus cities in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) as far as PM2.5 concentration is concerned in April 2024 in a list prepared by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) after analysing PM2.5 concentration data of the Central Pollution Control Board’s real-time ambient air quality monitoring stations in the IGP. It is also one of India’s most congested cities with the highest vehicular density. The issues of pollution and traffic congestion are closely intertwined in the case of Kolkata, as high vehicular emission is the foremost factor behind the city’s environmental woes.
Most of the city roads are chocka-block with traffic and low vehicular speed results in higher emissions causing lung infections and respiratory ailments. With the tram services all but stopping, private vehicles and auto-rickshaws took over the road spaces, aggravating congestion and pollution. Between 2019 and 2022, the number of private two-wheelers and four-wheelers incre a sed by 18.5 per cent. While some tram users have shifted to private modes, anecdotal data suggests that most people now take autos, which run on shuttle routes and allow frequent stops. Between 2016 and 2022, the number of registered auto-rickshaws had jumped from 40,740 to 46,320 to go by Statista.
The policy of encouraging a swarm of auto-rickshaws at the expense of trams is unsustainable. One double-compartment tram can comfortably carry between 100 to 120 passengers, while an autorickshaw transports just four. On stretches like Rash Behari Avenue between Ballygunge Railway Station and Kalighat Metro Station, about 25 to 35 auto-rickshaws now take up the space that could be served by a single tram on Route 24/29. Not only do these three wheelers take up precious road space but their chaotic road behaviour adds to traffic snarls and places commuter safety at risk. Autorickshaws also tend to use illegal fuels and seat more people than is sustainable, given their engine capacity.
The inefficiency of the trade-off is obvious. While entirely credible and updated data on road space availability is not available on the KMDA, KMC and Kolkata Police websites, road space in the KMA area is 4,018 km according to the Annual Report of the Kolkata Traffic Police (2023) and the city’s total area is about 185 square kilometers (or about 71 square miles). One can work out the math. It leaves one in no doubt that is a chimera for Kolkata to pursue an automobile-centric mobility strategy.
Delhi frequently gets gridlocked despite having 21 per cent of the city space available for roads. Accommodating the everexpanding number of automobiles by stopping trams and widening roads is a never-ending game. While seemingly intuitive, this approach to relieving urban congestion has proven ineffective worldwide. In fact, it perpetuates a vicious cycle of car dependency and worsens the very problem it seeks to solve. Increasing road capacity encourages more people to drive, which ultimately results in the same, if not greater, levels of traffic congestion.
Instead, urban mobility solutions for congested cities like Kolkata must prioritise mass transit systems, which are more sustainable and efficient in reducing congestion and improving the quality of life. Incidentally, the last significant transportation planning initiative for the city, the Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2001-25 report by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, projected the need to augment daily passenger carrying capacity of the tram system from two lakhs in 2001 to 10 lakhs in 2025. Instead of relegating trams to a mere heritage attraction, it is essential to recognize their potential as a cornerstone of a clean and green mobility solution. While ebuses are more suitable for travelling unhindered along longer stretches having few stops, trams are ideal for inner-city short-haul travels with frequent stops.
With a commitment to modernisation, innovative funding strategies and technology upgrading, Kolkata’s trams could be reinvigorated as a feeder transit option linked to suburban trains, metro rails and e-buses. Here are three ways the government can raise funds for the tram system without straining the public exchequer. Monetisation of land assets: The Calcutta Tramways Corporation owns over 17 hectares of land across the city, much of it in prime locations. Funds can be generated by monetising these land assets through long-term leases or joint ventures. Commercial structures can be built over the tram depot at higher levels without hindering tram operations at the ground level.
Solar panels can be installed on the rooftops of such depot buildings to generate electricity. Hong Kong and several other cities have applied similar strategies to upgrade their transit services. Kolkata had also leased tram depot lands earlier. However, for the sake of accountability and transparency, it has to be ensured that profits from such ventures are cycled back to upgrade and expand tram infrastructure and not diverted to meet other priorities. Increased parking fees for private vehicles: Parking fees in Kolkata are low compared to other metro cities. It is essential to raise parking fees along transit corridors to discourage the use of private vehicles and reduce traffic congestion. The additional revenue generated from increased parking fees can be earmarked for transit infrastructure improvements, including walkability.
Kolkata has recently taken significant steps to restrict street vending activities to one-third of the footpaths and free up pedestrian space. The next logical step will be to improve walkability by fixing potholes and uneven surfaces. The city has a high-density development pattern, mixed land use and short distances. Thus improvements in walkability and tram services, along with high parking fees, can be a viable option for the city to reduce congestion and carbon emissions. Bonus floor area for properties along transit routes: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is believed to be considering bonus FAR (Floor Area ) for property owners who offer a part of their land for road widening purposes. However, this has to be done in a planned manner as indiscriminate road widening may encourage automobiles and worsen the congestion crisis. Instead, properties along tram and metro corridors can be offered premium FAR against payment.
Property developers can purchase premium FAR to build additional floors in exchange for contributing to the tramway modernisation fund. Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai are following similar approaches to encourage transit-oriented development and reduce automobile dependency. Kolkata has been historically a transit-oriented city until cars began hitting its streets in a big way since the 1990s. An elaborate tram network linked to metro and suburban trains was its backbone. The city needs to revisit its past to draw inspiration for its future. Shutting down the system would be a grave mistake and a disservice to future generations who deserve cleaner air, safer streets and equitable public transit options. Instead, the focus should be on modernizing Kolkata’s transportation and administering it in line with global patterns.
(The writers are, respectively, Professor, Urban Management and Governance, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, and a Transportation and Environmental Planning Consultant)