Walking through present-day Mylapore brings nostalgic memories. One could hear the rumbling of an approaching tram. Trams ferried people to various parts of Madras.
For a paltry sum of 2 annas, one could travel from Luz to Parrys.
The tram was the Metro of those days and criss-crossed all the major roads of Madras, providing an affordable means of transportation for all sections of society. You could see lawyers carrying case bundles, hawkers carrying their wares, office goers with their lunch boxes, jumping in and out as the tram wound its way across the leafy thoroughfares of Madras unhurriedly.
The tram operators used the clanging bells of the trams not only to clear the pedestrians off the tracks but also to announce the arrival. It would be a sight to watch them pull and tug the pantographs at the end of the line for turning around and continuing their return journey.
However, the days of these charming trams did not last long.
In 1953, it was decided that the trams had to stop as they were bleeding money. While trams are not expected to make a comeback, it is heartening to see that these majestic rides are still making the rounds in big cities around the world. Long live the tram.
(Krishnamachari holds four postgraduate degrees in addition to a PhD. The 79-year-old Mylapore resident is currently working on his second PhD)
