18/01/2025
Trams: An Ode
There was a time when I was a frequent tram-traveller. A quick trip to College Street was synonymous with a tram-ride! Back then, there were few incomparable joys in life, and one of them was taking a slow, leisurely tram ride home, knowing that my small backpack was laden with new books.
Trams weren't as "exotic" back then, as they are today. It was as common to take a tram- in the routes they were active- as it was to hail a yellow taxi or a red mini-bus. I also found the trams strangely majestic in some ways. I mean, it was quite a sight when every other vehicle had to move away and make room as the trams gently but surely went their way, cutting through the rush hour traffic.
Yet, over time, these gentle rides of our beloved city, slowly started dwindling in numbers. At present, they are active in few select routes, taken by people who are not in a hurry, and who still want to see the world go by slowly through large, open windows. In a day and age when electric vehicles are gaining prominence globally, it is heartbreaking to see such an amazing form of clean, environment-friendly public transport system slowly dying away, especially because it also happens to be an iconic representative of our beloved Calcutta. No other city in our country boasts of a tram, and instead of keeping them alive, we, the Calcuttans, are contributing towards their demise, because we don't choose them as much as we used to, as we go about our daily business. Only one route may stay active, and it isn't difficult to imagine how many people are going to get access to them.
These are some impromptu clicks that I happened to take as I took a tram to Shyambazar a few evenings back. Just like our beloved trams, they aren't perfect, but maybe, that's how they were meant to be - evoking nostalgia and sadness, mingled with joy and old world charm.
Do hop on a tram if you happen to see one. They won't be around for long.💐
