Since last year, the BMC has been discussing the possibility of bringing back historic trams to the city as a tourist attraction, choosing (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) CSMT as the location.
Well, the BMC has now announced that this tram service will be operational in the Bhatia Baug area near CSMT within the next 15 days. While the service was expected to be opened for the public a few months ago, beautification works and modifications to the more than 100-year old tram took longer than expected. This tram unit was previously part of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) museum.The work needed to make this historic tram operational is currently underway. Authorities are said to be building a cobbled stone pathway for the podium, while iron railings are being placed on its path as well. These iron railings were reportedly procured by the BMC from a Bangalore-based contractor.
Assistant Commissioner of the BMC’s A Ward, Chanda Jadhav, said: “The tram was installed on an elevated podium in December. The beautification work for the area around the tram installation is in its final stages. The set-up will be inaugurated within 15 days.”Trams were operational in Mumbai since the middle of the 18th century when the region was under British Indian rule. These trams operated in the city for a period of 90 years until it was shut down in 1964. This new beautification project is a perfect homage to the metropolis as well as BEST which currently serves as the lifeline for thousands of Mumbaikars every day.
The implementation of a tram network may not be feasible in the city given the vast network of roads, sewers as well as ongoing infrastructure development. This is why it makes a great deal of sense to have one or two trams running in iconic locations of the city as tourist attractions.
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