Rickshaw & Tram Magnetic Bookmark

Kolkata is a city of contradictions. The first city in India to construct a metro rail, it is now the only city in the world that continues to operate licensed hand-pulled rickshaws (called tana rickshaw in Bengali) as a mode of public transport. According to All Bengal Rickshaw Union, it is estimated that more than 14,000 unlicensed and more than 5,000 licensed rickshaws are currently operational in Kolkata. The word ‘rickshaw’ originates from the Japanese word ‘Jin-riki-sha’ (jin meaning human, riki meaning power, and sha meaning vehicle; which translates to human-powered vehicle).

Kolkata’s tram history began with horse-drawn trams in 1873, becoming India’s first tram service, then electrified in 1902, making it Asia’s oldest operating electric tram, though now facing potential cuts to heritage routes due to traffic, with services shrinking from many routes to just a few nostalgic, iconic lines run by the WBTC.