JOY ROY CHOUDHURY – Kolkata
In a bid to generate additional revenue and lure more passengers and tourists to Kolkata, the cash-strapped The Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) has drawn up plans to launch fully air-conditioned trams with cafeterias on board. Confirming the development to Express TravelWorld, Shantilal Jain, chairman, CTC said, “To attract more passengers, we have decided to manufacture air-conditioned cafeteria trams which are expected to be ready by Durga Puja in October this year. We have discussed the issue with Rachhpal Singh, tourism minister, West Bengal who assured us of his department’s support and asked us to proceed with the making of these trams.” The state tourism department plans to showcase these air-conditioned trams as an attractive proposition to attract tourists into the city.
Senior officials of CTC mooted the plan a few months ago to manufacture air-conditioned trams in their workshops. Doors of the trams will close automatically when they start plying. The trams will have wide glass windows along with FM radio. Fibre reinforced plastic, will be installed at the top to avoid heating during summer, instead of ultraviolet infra-red polycarbonate sheets, which are at present used in trams. Jain said, “We have already sent a proposal to the state transport department seeking its approval to run air-conditioned trams. As the installation of air-conditioned cafeteria involves huge investment, we have decided to adopt the public-private partnership (PPP) model.” A private party will be roped in to renovate the trams. The state government recently provided funds to CTC to tide over the financial crisis. Once the trams are renovated, they will be run on a PPP model, said Jain adding that at first two air-conditioned trams will be run on an experimental basis.
Plans are also afoot to revamp the existing 125 trams running across the city, increase the frequency of tram services and set a time-table. “For smooth running of trams, we are also thinking of transforming the shape of the trams from two bogies to a single bogie,” said Jain.
