Author: Ritika Roy

One of the colonial treasures that you can still see plying in our city rather than decked up in museums are these hand-pulled rickshaws. In our local language, these vehicles are called “Tonga”. These rickshaws were introduced in Kolkata in the 19th century after they were invented in Japan, and still to date they are operational in our city. Kolkata is the only remaining city in India to keep up with hand-pulled rickshaws. These rickshaws have been an integral part of our city. They have witnessed Kolkata’s evolution for over a century.

These hand-pulled rickshaws can be seen in between some confined areas of north and central Kolkata. In contrast to City’s fast emerging infrastructure, these rickshaws provide a glimpse into the past. The best part of the rickshaws, that they can take you through narrow lanes of north and central Kolkata which are inaccessible by autos and cabs. These rickshaws are part of the unique identity of Kolkata along with tea, tram, and cricket. Like the Howrah Bridge and Victoria Memorial, these rickshaws an image of Kolkata to tourists.

These rickshaws are light-weight and have a sturdy wooden frame. At a time these rickshaws can accommodate one or two persons. They generally carry goods, pick and drop children, carry passengers through narrow water-logged alleys during monsoon seasons. Ideally, their day starts from dawn and lasts still very late in the evening. Unlike our modern battery-powered rickshaws these two-wheeler rickshaw is pulled by a person with a bell hooked around his finger, which he shooks continuously. The sound of the slow clatter of the rotating wooden wheels drawn by a man is quite distinctive from the sounds of other vehicles plying on the road.

 These iconic hand-pulled rickshaws have been mentioned in many literary works. For instance, Bimal Roy “Do Bigha Zamin in 1953 (an adaptation of Tagore’s poem of the same name)” where a farmer becomes a rickshaw puller in then Calcutta. Dilip Banerjee’s “On His Last Leg” is a documentary on the plights of hand-pulled rickshawallas of Kolkata. In Rudyard Kipling’s play “The Phantom rickshaw” the main lead was a rickshaw puller. For photographers, Kolkata is incomplete without these rickshaws. For street photographers and explorers this vehicle tickles their fancy.

 Since the colonial period, these rickshaws have provided livelihood to poor people in our city. They continue to do so. Though very soon they will be replaced by battery-powered rickshaws in the near future, as the Government is setting up rehabilitation programs for these rickshaw-pullers. So in a few years, you might see a hand-pulled rickshaw in a museum.

Trams have been operational in our city for almost two and a half centuries. No one can picture “The City Of Joy” without this one of its kind trams. Though they have reduced in numbers because of stiff competition faced by other modes of transport, they are far from extinct. A trip to Kolkata is incomplete without a tram ride across the city. Today it is the only surviving tram system in India, and possibly the only one in Asia. Although it was originally an important mode of transport, lately these trams have become very popular with tourists.

The routes of the trams run parallel to other vehicles on tracks laid out alongside the busy streets. In spite of ruckus and car honking and busy traffic, you can distinctly differentiate the rumbling sound of trams with ringing bells. Since its inception trams have been an integral part of our culture. These iconic trams have transformed from necessity in the 19th century to vintage in recent times. One ride in these trams can make you feel going back in time and reliving history.

The first attempt to run tramway service (2.4 mile) in Kolkata was done in 1873 between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street, but due to lack of patrons, the services remained discontinued for the next seven years. The second attempt was made using horse-drawn trams around 1880. But with the introduction of electricity, electrically driven trams have been in service to date. Initially, it was used for the transport of goods from the ports to the offices of the East India company. Though trams are considered iconic today, it was regarded as British imported goods in the colonial period.

You will be able to get the old world charm of our city vibe while taking a ride in a tram. As it slowly glides through congested lanes you can lean back and watch this historical city. Inside a tram, you will find wood and metal benches laid out in rows on either side. Wide windows are present on both sides with painted bars and noisy fans whirring above your head. When you are planning to get on or off from a tram, the conductor rings a bell, both to halt and to give a green signal to start again.

CTC (The Calcutta Tramways Company Limited), which was registered in 1880 as a private company in London. Today the tram service is run by the Government of West Bengal. With the advent of other modes of public transport, tram network services have visibly reduced. Many cities in India have closed tram services by the late 20th century, due to the reeling pressure of fast urbanization. But tram services in Kolkata have stood the test of time. Today CTC is evolving with time to keep up the pace with our generation. These trams have featured in numerous movies, books, and poems.

As one truly said Kolkata is a city of heritage, love and good vibes. No matter how many changes occur, Kolkata never forgets its tradition and these yellow ambassador taxis will prove you just that. A shot of long rows of yellow ambassador taxis in front of Howrah station or Esplanade is considered iconic. Though Victoria Memorial, Shahid Minar or Howrah Bridge have represented Kolkata, still photographers like to have these quintessential shots of these yellow ambassadors. Still, these ambassadors are considered the very essence of this city. One cannot imagine our city’s road scape without these yellow taxis.

These yellow taxis fitted with 1.5-litre diesel engine are approximately 4.3 meters long and 1.6 meters wide and weighing more than just a ton. The metered-cabs are mostly of the brand “Ambassador” manufactured by Hindustan Motors (now out of production). The first iconic ambassador taxis were first produced in 1957. After almost 60 years of production, Hindustan Motors have stopped manufacturing all models of ambassadors. An era ended on May 24, 2014, when Hindustan Ambassador rolled off the last assembly line. However, there are still plenty of them on the streets of Kolkata.

So these metered yellow taxis are truly a thing of the past. Once in a while, one or two Maruti Omnis, and Tata Indigo CS can be seen painted in yellow. There are increasing numbers of white with blue border Tata Indigos and Swifts in the city which ply with the same meters as the yellow taxis under ‘No refusal’ tags. These yellow taxis in Kolkata can be booked through an app of cab-booking service, ola. According to the company,1000 of these tallow cabs have registered with ola. With changing times, the yellow ambassadors have learned to keep their above water.

These cabs are not luxurious but you can get the smell of Kolkata’s tradition in them. For decades these yellow taxis were the most common vehicle on Indian roads. To date, they are considered “The king of Indian roads”. These ambassadors have been virtually hailed as indestructible. These taxis are so robust that you can sit on them, stand on them without risking a dent. The best part of these ambassadors is their back seat. It’s almost like a sofa. As one 68-year-old cab driver said, “only these mighty ambassadors can tame Kolkata traffic with its potholes, new swanky cars can come and go”.

In the 1990s Bollywood or in Bengali film, numerous occasions you can find where these metered cabs were used. For instance, in the movie Nayak(1966) you can see Uttam Kumar riding one of the models of ambassador. These taxis serve an epic background for photos. So if you are visiting Kolkata don’t forget to have a ride in these yellow taxis.