Head of tram lovers’ body in Kolkata files FIR against burial of tracks

The president of a prominent body of tram enthusiasts in Kolkata has filed an FIR against the city’s municipal corporation for recently bituminising a section of one of the oldest tram tracks in the city, saying it clearly violated an order of the Calcutta High Court.

Debasish Bhattacharyya, a retired scientist and the president of Calcutta Tram Users’ Association (CTUA), filed the FIR at the Burrabazar police station on Sunday (July 13, 2025) afternoon, saying the bituminisation was being done illegally by Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

“It has come to our attention that bituminisation of tram tracks is currently going on at the Chitpur-Mahatma Gandhi Road crossing, which falls under the Burrabazar police station area. This activity was noticed on July 5 and is in direct violation of an order passed by the Calcutta High Court (on February 18 this year),” Mr. Bhattacharyya wrote in his complaint.

The High Court, hearing an ongoing case regarding opposition to bituminisation of tram tracks initiated by the authorities, had directed that the State Government “should not bituminise the other tram tracks, which are in existence despite the fact that trams are not plying on those areas. In other words, status quo should be maintained in all the existing tram tracks, except the tram tracks which were bituminised in Alipore area.”

In the FIR, the CTUA president demanded that the “unauthorised work” be stopped immediately and appropriate legal action taken against those violating the court directive and that an inquiry be conducted to identify “individuals/contractors/government officials” who sanctioned this illegal bituminisation.

Mr. Bhattacharyya told The Hindu: “I believe that an efficient tramway system in a high-density city like Kolkata is the only way to sustain mobility of the commuters. Metro rail, though very efficient, is a corridor and has several limitations. This is a global opinion — not just mine — that is supported by strong economic success of the tramway. Only corruption can defame a tramway. The removal of tramway is a crime as we have enough documents to vouch for this eco-friendliness.”

He added: “On July 23, there is a hearing at Supreme Court on the bituminisation of tram tracks. Depending on how the apex court reacts, the Calcutta High Court will decide on the next course of action.”

At the moment only two tram routes remain functional in Kolkata, the only city in India where the tram still runs and where it was a highly popular mode of transport until the 1980s. The present government in West Bengal is not keen on preserving this environment-friendly system of commute — blaming it for traffic congestion — and wants to promote just one route for the purpose of tourism, something that tram lovers are opposed to.