The Kolkata tram may be a pale shadow of its glorious days, but it is still an iconic image of the city. College Street happens to be the prestigious address of some of the oldest educational institutions in the country, and also boasts rows of bookshops on either side.
Now, a tram is set to recreate the academic ambience. It is built like a library and will roll down College Street, giving passengers a glimpse of the University of Calcutta, Presidency University and the hundreds of book stalls.
From Thursday, people can ride the tram library, an air-conditioned car converted into a library on wheels. It will make six trips on the recently restored Esplanade-Shyambazar route.
West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), which oversees India’s only functional tramway, has introduced the service to rekindle the love for trams and reading. The initiative brings together unique aspects of the city’s cultural heritage: trams, which form an intrinsic part of the colonial legacy and its love for books on College Street, which is called ‘Boi Para’ (street of books) by many. While the first trams were launched in 1873, and were electrified in 1900, educational institutions on College Street like the Presidency University opened over 200 years ago in 1817.
Attracting students
“The idea is to make the tram the mode of choice for Kolkata’s students once again,” said Rajanvir Singh Kapur, MD of WBTC. In addition to the titles housed within, the tram library will provide readers access to online books. There will be no additional charge, the ticket provides passengers access. There will be 25 stops along the 5 km route, five of them on College Street.
The library is just a beginning this winter, says an official. It could be the venue of book launches and book readings this season. Kolkata hosts a number of literary festivals and there is a search on for new venues. There are plans to have a Literary Festival around the tram library in the next two months, in November 2020.
Cyclone Amphan, which battered the city on May 20 severely damaged tram infrastructure. After restoration, four routes have been opened. The library will be on the fifth route.
