Tram revamp plan to boost services
The process will be used to identify operators capable of running, upgrading and modernising tram services,” said state transport minister Arjun Singh . “We will float tenders seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from private players after examining the recommendations of the RITES study on the city’s tram network.
The plan marks an attempt to give Kolkata’s historic tram system a new operational and financial model instead of depending entirely on government funding. Kolkata is the only Indian city where trams continue to operate, though services have shrunk sharply over the years. The proposed PPP initiative is aimed at retaining the mode while making it financially and operationally sustainable.
The state is expected to earn royalty from the operator against the right to run the services, said Singh. Under the proposed model, the govt will retain ownership of the tram infrastructure while a private partner will be brought in for operations and modernisation.