Abstract :
Transportation is one of the foremost catalysts of the urban economy as it gives the necessary pace to it
by means of connection between and among the places. The basic transport modes that serve commuters
and other people to move in and around the urban area are Bus, Cabs, Trains, Metrorail, Ferry, and
Trams. Among them, the tram is the only non-polluting as well as a sustainable mode of mass transport.
In India, Kolkata is the only city where the Tram is till now operating. The cab is very expensive,
unfriendly for mass transit of passengers and also polluting one. Buses carry less number of passengers
compared to trams and exert a huge black fume in some cases. And Metro rail on the other hand,
although apparently seems to be non-polluting but it exerts substantial pollution effect by means of its
tremendous sharp sound which is so harmful and involves a huge costing for constructed operation and
management. In this respect, tramcars stand out in comparison to other vehicular modes within the
transportation system of Kolkata for its uniqueness. However, Kolkata is the only city where this service
is still running with remarkable transformation in terms of its decreasing coverage area, passenger
turnover, earning and basic infrastructure over the years. In the case of developed countries, the
Tramways case is different. The present paper attempts to trace the underlying scenario of spatiotemporal
dimensions of tramways of Kolkata and identify the management and technical gaps to be
redressed. To comprehend the overall present picture, tramcars professing passengers, operators,
maintenance workers, management personnels are interviewed, and historical perspective is also
added, to collect data from the reliable sources.
Keyword :
LRTS Termini Depot Workshop Breakdown Services Spatio-temporal Aspects MTS Sustainable Mode of Transport