CTUA launches calendars featuring Kolkata’s iconic trams

Kolkata: The Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA) released two calendars, a wall calendar and a desk calendar, with photographs of trams from an era when they were a vital part of Kolkata’s public transport system. The initiative aims to evoke nostalgia and remind the city about the dwindling tram network.

Marking the first such effort by CTUA, an organisation that advocates for Kolkata’s tram system, the release of the calendars serves as a subtle form of protest against the gradual phasing out of trams.

“We spontaneously planned this initiative,” said Debasish Bhattacharyya, president of CTUA. “This is a silent protest at a time when trams, which are an integral part of our city’s heritage, are being taken away. We wanted to take these calendars to people’s homes to remind them of the trams’ legacy. We did not put any slogans, allowing pictures to speak for themselves,” he added. The calendars feature rare photographs of trams from the 1960s, an era when the system was at its peak. The wall calendar, priced at Rs 300, comprises 12 pages, each featuring a different tram image for every month. The Rs 150 desk calendar also features memorable moments from the city’s tram history.