ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

My City and its Transportation: a writeup

I have lived here in Kolkata since my birth, for more than
almost 20 years. In this write-up I am going to discuss about
Kolkata which is run by a Municipal Corporation. This write-up
will provide a brief overview of the evolution of the city and its
transportation system.
The City and its Origination
In the Hindu epics, the God Shiva was understandably
dismayed to happen upon the charred corpse of Sati, his
newlywed wife (an incarnation of Kali). However, his decision to
destroy the world in retribution was considered somewhat of an
over-reaction by fellow deities. Vishnu interceded to stop
Shivas dance of destruction, but in so doing dismembered
Satis cadaver into 51 pieces. These gory chunks landed at
widely disbursed points across India. One of her toes fell at
Kalikata (now Kalighat), where the site became honoured by a
much revered temple.
The area where the city is now located was originally
inhabited by the people of three villages Kalikata, Sutanuti
and Gobindapur. However, the boundaries of the three villages
gradually became less distinct, and before the battle of Plassey,
the city could be divided into four different sub-areas
European Kolkata (Dihi Kolkata), a residential village with some
sacred spots (Gobindapur), a traditional Indian market (Bazar
Kalikata or Burrabazar) and a riverine mart concentrating on
cloth trade (Sutanati). After the battle of Plassey in 1757, the
British started rebuilding the city with the notions of making it
the capital for their Empire.
According to many historians, The rent-roll of Akbar, the
sixteenth-century Mughal emperor, and the work of a Bengali
poet, Bipradaas, of the late fifteenth century, both make
mention of the city's early name's being Kolikata, from which
Kolkata/Calcutta are said to derive. The city owes its genesis in
the Maurya and Gupta period and it was an established trading
post long before the Slave Dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, the
Mughals, the Portuguese, the French or the British established a
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ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

modern township there. References to the existence of an

ancient riverine port (named Kalikata) exist in the travel
journals of Chinese scholars and Persian merchants dating from
centuries BCE. The Hindu epic Mahabharata, lists the King of
Vanga (meaning Bengal), as having fought alongside the
Kauravas in the great war.
The growth of the present city can be dated from 1690,
when Job Charnock, an agent of the English East India Company
chose the place for a trade settlement. In 1698, the East India
Company bought three villages (Sutanuti, Kalikata and
Gobindapur) from a local landlord family of Sabarna Roy
Choudhury. The next year, the company began developing the
city as a Presidency City. In 1727, as per the order of King
George I, a civil court was set up in the city. The Calcutta
Municipal Corporation was formed and the city had its first
mayor.
Evolution of the City
Calcutta, the city of joy was established in the year 1686,
as a result of the expansion plans of the British Raj. The city
kept progressing until 1756, when Siraj-Ud-Daula (Nawab of
Bengal) attacked and succeeded in driving the British away
from the town. In 1757, the following year, Battle of Plassey
took place, in which Robert Clive took over the city by defeating
the Nawab.
The end of battle witnessed the establishment of Supreme
Court in 1774, making Calcutta as the base of justice. The
period between 1820 and 1930 saw the growing of seeds of
nationalism that reached its height in 1905, when people stood
against Lord Curzon's plan regarding the partition of Bengal.
Rabindranath Tagore led the nationalist anti partition
movements. The Partition was repealed in 1911, followed by
the shifting of capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi. In
2001, Calcutta was officially renamed Kolkata.
The City and its Transportation

ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

The two major railway stations of the city are at Howrah

and Sealdah. The Eastern and South Eastern Railways are
headquartered in the city. The electrified suburban rail network
of the SER and the ER is extensive and includes the Circular
Rail. The city also has South Asia's oldest underground metro
railway. Till mid 2005 it was the only underground metro railway
in the Indian subcontinent.
Kolkata is the only city in India to have a tram network.
The city has an extensive bus network and taxis, autorickshaws
and rickshaws are plenty in number. The Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose International Airport is at Dum Dum. Kolkata is
also a major port and together with the Haldia dock systems,
the Kolkata Port Trust has been amongst top performers in the
country.
Kolkata, as Calcutta is called now, has the maximum
number of travel options for intra-city or inter-city
transportation. Airplane and helicopter services, in addition to
long-distance trains and ships bring people into the city. The
circular rail and transport corporation buses cater to nearer
destinations. Catamaran and ferry services exist for riverine
traffic. The Underground Metro, city buses, mini-buses, taxis
and trams allow commuters to travel from one end of the city
to the other. Hand-pulled rickshaws vie with auto-rickshaws and
cycle-rickshaws for short-distance travel. Horse-carts can be
availed for pleasure rides around the Maidan - the green hub of
the city. With all these modes of transport, one would wonder
why getting around Calcutta is still an ordeal!
Public transportation, such as buses, trams, trains, and
subways, are the principal means of transport in the Calcutta
metropolitan area. Buses operate throughout the area, and
trains have north-south lines with a few east-west connections.
There are two major train terminals: Sealdah in the east central
part of Calcutta and Howrah across the river from the Central
Business District. Electric trams operate in Calcutta proper. The
aging buses, trains, and tram cars suffer from overloading,
creating uncomfortable rides. Subway construction started in
1972 and became operational with 7 km of line in 1984. By
1995 the subways entire 16.4-km route from Dum Dum to
Tollugunge was completed. The subway carries an estimated 25
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RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

percent of Calcutta's 7 million commuters. Cycle rickshaws are

not allowed in the city of Calcutta, but they are common in the
metropolitan area. Hand-pulled carts are used for shortdistance cargo hauling. Private automobiles, extensively used
in Calcutta and Howrah, are increasing in numbers and are
owned by the wealthy. Air pollution caused by automobiles,
buses, and industrial emissions is severe. Calcutta's
international airport at Dum Dum is about 19 km from the city
centre and provides service for both national and international
airlines.

Evolution of the City Transportation System

Its trams might be the slowest mode of commuting, but
when it comes to public transport, Kolkata is regarded the most
progressive city in the country.

The study of 84 cities across the world titled 'Future of

Urban Mobility 2.0' by Arthur D Little, ranks Kolkata at 31highest among the six cities studied in India. Kolkata fares
better than several cities in developed countries including New
York (35), Toronto (38) and Melbourne.

Some of the parameters that were taken into account are

share of trips made in public transport, smart card penetration,
road density, frequency of public transport and initiatives taken
in the public sector.

Experts say it is no surprise that Kolkata holds the top

rank in the country as it has a array of options - including the
age-old tram system, the new age metro rail and 'intermediate
public transport' systems like auto-rickshaws and taxis that go
by the meter. More than half or 54% of all trips are made on
public transport, according a study by the Union ministry of
urban development-highest in the country. Though the
government is on a banning spree, studies also show that some
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ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

11% of all trips are made on cycles and only 8% are made on
cars-which is one of the lowest in the country.

Types of Transportation
Kolkata Rail - Kolkata is well-connected to the rest of
India by extensive railway network of the Indian railways. Two
divisions of the Indian railways - the Eastern Railway and the
South Eastern Railway are headquartered in the city. The two
major railway stations of the city are at Howrah and Sealdah. A
third terminal called Kolkata has recently been constructed.
This station is in North Kolkata and can be reached by a road
opposite to the RG Kar Medical College just beyond
Shyambazar. The electrified suburban rail network of the SER
and the ER is extensive and stretches far into the neighbouring
districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia,
Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan, Midnapur etc. The Circular Rail
encircles the entire city of Kolkata, and is at present being
extended. A new railway line offshoot has been built to connect
the airport to the lines going to Sealdah.
Kolkata Metro facilities - The Kolkata metro services
started in the year 1984. It is the oldest underground metro
system of the country. The metro railways in Kolkata runs
parallel to the river Hooghly and it extends to a length of 22.3
km inside the city. New lines for Metros are under construction
for a better Metro railway service in Kolkata. A line for Howrah
is also being built now and Bidhanagar too. The newly
developed place Rajarhat has also a proposal for a Metro
Railway service which is expected to be completed by 2013.
New air conditioned metro railways are also coming in which
will be much more cost effective than using air conditioned
buses and taxis as well as it will save time. The Metro railway is
the most preferred public transport system in Kolkata. To reach
one place to another it takes just a few minutes by a Metro rail
where as it takes hours in buses or trams or taxis. The most
important advantage for the people who travel in Metros is they
don't have to stick in Traffic Signals or the regular jams in
Kolkata. Again one will also be saved from the pollution inside
the city. People in Kolkata are now proposing to have metro
facilities all over the city which is expected to be done by 2015.
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ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

Tram facility in Kolkata - Kolkata is the only city in India

with the tram facilities and it this facility is the memory for the
Kolkata people for the old Kolkata. Trams in Kolkata are run by
the Calcutta Tramways Company. Trams are now used very less
as they are very slow and take a huge time. Though it is
preferred during traffic jams. There are several disadvantages
of this form of transportation in Kolkata. During the winters the
roads in Kolkata get blocked with water and that time the Trams
in Kolkata cannot operate. This is the worst Disadvantage of the
Tram Facility of Kolkata.
Kolkata Buses - Buses are also one of the most preferred
modes of transport for the people of Kolkata and it is run by
both Private owners as well as the government of Kolkata.
Nowadays new kinds of Buses are entering into the
transportation network of Kolkata which produces less pollution
inside the city as well as more efficient. This efficiency of the
new buses helps them to fight the hiking fuel prices and helps
in maintaining the fares of the buses, thus keeping the
customers satisfied. People travelling by buses are not satisfied
enough in Kolkata. They want many changes in the bus service.
The roads should be different for buses for transportation but
again buses are really helpful for the people. The mini buses in
Kolkata are run by the private operators in Kolkata. There were
also Double Decker buses in Kolkata which now we cannot see
much. A new reform has been bought by the Kolkata
government in the transportation by buses to reduce the level
of pollution of the city by permanent ban of buses more than 15
years of age which is for both private as well as government
buses.
Auto rickshaws, Taxis and Rickshaws in Kolkata Taxis and auto rickshaws are also preferred by the public for
transportation. Taxis are a form of luxury transportation in
Kolkata which everyone in the city cannot afford. The taxis and
autos of Kolkata run in meter and they have a tendency to
cheat customers. So a customer should always be alert while
hiring a taxi for him/her. There are also blue arrow taxis which
are newly launched and they reach to you just by a phone call.
These are Air conditioned taxis which provide a little more
comfort and are normally Tata Indica or Indigos. Normal taxis
are typical old Ambassadors which are yellow in colour. Hand
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ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

pulled rickshaws is also seen in Kolkata especially in the Bara

Bazaar area which is a preserver of traditional values of
Kolkata. This for is normally preferred by the people who use
short distances.
Kolkata Ferry - Also the twin cities of Kolkata and
Howrah are connected by local water ferries through the
extensive ghats like Fairlie Ghat, Howrah Ghat, Shibpur Ghat,
Prinsep Ghat, Cossipore Ghat, etc. Small boats are used for
recreational purpose. There are plans to start utilizing the
canals running through the city as water-transport network. The
first service is scheduled to start from September 2006 - and
would cover the Belgachia-Lake Town stretch of Kestopur Canal.
Kolkata Air - The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
International Airport at Dum Dum is the only airport in the city,
operating both domestic and international flights. It is a
gateway to North-East India, Bangkok, and Bangladesh. The
number of people using the airport has consistently increased
over the last few years. There is a flying club in Behala. After
several years of inactivity it has recently been restored.

City Transportation System Capacity Overview

The existing highway and street network within KMA is
inadequate. The total road length of the highways and arterial
roads within KMA was estimated to the about 500 km. of which
400 km is in Metropolitan Centre and 100 km in the rest of the
metropolis. About 40 major important arterial roads could be
identified, which function as the major arteries within the city of
Kolkata and Howrah in the metro core area.
There are in total 12 nos. rail alignments within the KMA
and the suburban services extend to Burdwan, Katwa,
Krishnanagar, Bongaon on the north, Diamond Harbour, Budge
Budge, Lakshmikantapur and Port Canning on the south,
Tarakeswar on the west and Kharagpur on the south west.
There are 105 suburban passenger railway stations within the
area placed at an average interval of 2 to 2.5 K.M. The most
important passenger terminals are the Sealdah and Howrah
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ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

Stations. Apart from the above two major terminal stations,

there are 8 junction stations within the area.
The total length of the proposed Circular Railway is a little
over 34 km. of which 16 km. is over the existing suburban route
of Majerhat Ballygunge Dum Dum via Kankurgachi Chord of
Sealdah Division and the remaining 18 kilometres is mostly
over old Kolkata Port Trust Railways and Eastern Railways
Chitpur Yard.
The 28.14 km. long metro-rail from Noapara in the north
and New Garia in the south has been under operation. There
are 24 stations in this section between Noapara and New Garia.
The Passenger Ferry Services are operated from 58 Ferry
Crossing Points located on river Hooghly within KMA. Out of 58
Ferry Crossing Points, the Motorised Launches operate from 30
Points and mechanically operated country boats operate from
28 points. In the year 2000 about 2,49,000 passengers were
carried across the river Hooghly by the Ferry Services within
KMA.
The Surface Transport System in KMA consists of the
Buses, the Mini Buses, the Trams and paratransit system.
The Bus services are operated by both public sector
agencies as well as private owners. The Bus services in KMA
under the public sector are operated by the
Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC), West Bengal
Surface Transport Corporation, Calcuta Tramways Company
(CTC). In the year 2013-14, the public sector agencies in KMA
operated daily about 1350 Buses carrying a daily passenger
volume of 12 lakh. The private Bus operators operated about
6,000 Buses daily in the year 2013-14 carrying and average
daily passenger volume about 80 lakh.

ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

The
Buses
also

Mini
are

operated by private owners and in the year 2013-14 about

1500 Mini Buses were operated daily, carrying a passenger
volume of about 12 lakhs within the KMA.
About 180 Trams were operating daily on 30 Tram Routes
in Kolkata in the year 2013-14 and carried about 1.6 lakhs
passengers daily.
A number of Chartered Buses are operating within the
KMA area on nonschedule routes and are becoming popular
particularly to the office going population. In 2013-14 about
2000 Chartered Buses operated in KMA area carrying about 2.5
lakh passengers per day.
The paratransit vehicles also constitute the surface
transport system of the metropolis. The Taxis, Auto Rickshaws,
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ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

Cycle Rickshaws, Handpulled Rickshaws, Cycle Vans and

Trekkers constitute the paratransit system. In 2013-14 about
20,000 Taxis were operated daily in the area carrying a
passenger volume of about 10 lakhs. About 25,000 Auto
Rickshaws were operated in the area carrying a daily passenger
volume of about 15 lakhs. About 26,000 Cycle Vans & Trekkers
operated in KMA in the year 2013-14 and carred about 7.8
lakhs passengers per day.
The total number of passengers carried by the suburban
railway network of the Eastern Railways and the South-Eastern
Railways in the metropolis was about 32.00 lakhs per day in the
year 2013-14 out of which for the share of the South Eastern
Railway was about 4.00 lakhs per day. The total number of EMU
trains operated daily from Howrah and Sealdah Stations in the
year 2013-14 was 940 of which 550 EMU trains operated from
Sealdah station and 390 E.M.U. trains operated from the
Howrah Station. Of the 390 E.M.U. trains 252 nos. Of trains
were operated by the Eastern Railway and the remaining 138
nos. of trains were operated by the South Eastern Railway. In
the year 2013, the number of passengers using the Sealdah
and Howrah Railway Terminals daily was 15.80 lakhs and 11.30
lakhs respectively.
The International Airport Authority of India handles the
passenger at Kolkata Airport, Dum Dum. The Airport system is
connected with highway network linking the various parts of
KMA and hinterland. The Airport at present has no direct
linkage with railway system in KMA.
Passenger Traffic handled by Kolkata Airport (2010-11 to
2013-14)
Year
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14

International
5,30,127
6,11,072
6,20,380
6,20,400

Domestic
20,34,990
19,65,499
18,92,379
18,90,000

10

Total
25,65,117
25,76,571
25,12,759
25,10,400

ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

The travel speed of vehicular traffic is an indicator of the

quality of flow and traffic load on a particular road. The speed
profile of major arterial roads in Kolkata is given below:

The car
parking survey conducted in 7 areas in Kolkata in 2013-14
indicate that about 3000 cars were parking on street in BBD
Bag and adjoining areas on weekdays. About 1500 cars were
found to be parking on streets in areas around Park Street.
About 500 cars were observed to be parking on roads in and
around Gariahat Area. The percentage of effective carriageways
occupied by parked vehicles on the roads in areas mentioned
above was in the range of 24-38%.
The total number of vehicles observed to be entering or
leaving KMA on
Average weekdays in 2012-13 were about 1, 24, 000. The ratio
of slow: fast vehicles were 60:40. In the year 1998 about 3,
40,000 passengers were found to be entering or leaving KMA
during the period 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. through the connecting roads.
About 85% of the passengers were transported by bus and the
remaining 15% by other modes.
Conclusion
A household interview survey for more than 21,000
households within the Metropolitan Area was conducted by
KMDA in 2012-13. It has been observed that on an average
weekday about 22.6 million trips were generated within KMA of
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ASSIGNMENT-1 (URBAN TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT-PAPER302)

RITABRATA MUKHERJEE-52
3rd SEMESTER
MPSM (TLM)
14-16

which 11.06 million were transit passenger trips and 6.29

million trips were walking trips. The work trips were found to be
53.70% and the educational trips were 25.43% of total trips,
indicating that about 80% of total trips were generated for the
above-mentioned purposes.
Amongst the factors affecting the choice of mode, the cost
of journey was the predominant factor and about 76% of the
total trips were guided by the cost of travel for a particular
mode.
The vehicle ownership pattern within the area in 2012-13
indicates that 61% of the households in the area did not have
any vehicle and about 30% of the households had bi-cycles
only. The motorcar and the two-wheelers constituted 1.73% and
5.67% respectively of the total number of households.
The distribution of total trips generated in KMA indicates
that 72.47% of the total trips were performed by the male
residents and 27.53% trips were performed by the female
residents.

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