PLANNING FOR INTEGRATING TRAMWAYS AND STREET ENVIRONMENT- A CASE OF KOLKATA

Abstract

Tram is a mode of transport which is very much sustainable from the points of its low energy consumption, eco-friendly nature, low cost of construction as well as running cost, and its historical association with the city and its culture. Many of the developed countries have been trying to use tram as a mode of MRT. Many of them have been reintroduced tram into their transportation system after abandoning it in the past. In India, only Kolkata still has Tram which is fully functioning as a mode of public transport. The study has been divided into seven chapters; the chapter 1 involves the brief history and the advantages of tram. Chapter 2 focus on the understanding the traffic and transportation scenario in Kolkata and the streetscape design practiced in the foreign country. Chapter 3 reviews the tramway system available in London and Hong Kong from where the inferences can be drawn on how they have managed to run the tram, what development policies they have taken for improvement of tramways. Chapter 4 broadly discuss the existing operational condition of Kolkata Tramways, Chapter 5 gives the information about the criteria on the basis of which the study area has been selected, Chapter 6 is the analysis stage where three road stretches have been intensively analyzed; the problems of traffic and transportation, streetscape design everything have been covered under this. Based on the issues and analysis, Chapter 7 aims to recommend some improvement possibilities for which plausible strategies, guidelines have been evolved. This study aims to establish the fact that Kolkata is unique and fortunate that it is the only city showing its sensitivity to tramway which is part of architectural legacy. It needs to be revitalized and made to play a more important role in the life of the great city. Kolkata has the potentiality of making the tramway viable in terms of tourism, heritage, urban economy and environmental quality. It only requires positive approach, plausible development policies, and strict management to make it an attractive, viable and even profitable mode of transport.