More tram routes being planned for Kolkata I saw this report in the Times of India : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/78219764.cms
Trams have long been the the bane of motorists' lives in Kolkata.
They trundle along at a snail's pace, travel on the wrong side of the road in several places and create traffic snarls in case of a breakdown, while tram tracks damage car tires and can be positively dangerous for two-wheelers.
And they hardly carry any passengers ! The two carriages are mostly empty, even in peak hours.
No wonder trams have proved to be a dismal failure in ferrying Kolkatans after the advent of mini-buses, autos, AC buses etc. The tram company is bankrupt and stays alive with huge subsidies, merely to keep the staff employed and corruption to flourish. The tram company launched buses, which didn't make profits either.
Now trams will be revived !!
The reason given is eco-friendliness, namely that the electricity used to drive trams generate pollution somewhere else, not in the city.
I wonder whether new trams will be introduced to replaced the ancient, heavy monsters that use a century old Dick-Kerr system for speed control - all relays and contact breakers, zero electronics - or the same old junk will be given a coat of paint and pushed back on the road.
Why can't Kolkata have hybrid buses and electric buses, as London does, instead of spending money on these relics of the past?
Ah, perhaps the clue is "spending money" - great opportunity for some people to get rich, maybe.
Any views? |