TRAMS and the unique sound of its bells have always been part and parcel of the City of Joy. The tram was first introduced in the city in 1873. Back then, a horse-driven carriage was introduced from Sealdah to Armenian Ghat. With time, trams have become a part of the city's heritage. They not only provide the working population with a cheap means of transportation but trams driven by electricity also do not contribute to air pollution in the city.
Thanks to Bengali and Hindi cinemas, trams are hot spots where the hero romances his heartthrob. Due to this, trams have come to symbolise Kolkata like no other modern invention.
For these reasons, any judicial case involving trams is not a simple one but involves the history, the heritage, the emotions and the very identity of Kolkata.
On January 16, a division Bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya heard a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a group of citizens who have collectively formed a trust known as People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC).
The PIL has been filed as the petitioners allege that once the state government completes its ongoing process of bituminisation, it will remove the tram and, eventually, sell the tram depots to private players. The petition filed by the PUBLIC alleges that the decision to discard trams was not taken on the basis of any scientific study.
