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CITY TRANSPORT |
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Virtually all the different modes of transport that clog the streets of Calcutta - trams, buses, rickshaws, metered taxis, and minibuses - add to the problem of congestion. However, the
Metro
, India's first and Calcutta's pride and joy, provides a fast, clean and efficient way to get around. It's also very easy to use, as it consists of just the one line running on a north-south axis.
The
river
is also used for transport, with the
ghats
near Eden Gardens at the hub of a
ferry
system. The most pleasant way to beat the traffic is to take one of the very regular ferries from Chandpal Ghat to Howrah Station; other sailings head downriver from Armenian, Chandpal or Babu
ghats
to the Botanical Gardens, although the running of this route is erratic. Of more use to commuters than tourists, a
circular railway
loops south from Sealdah before moving upriver along the Strand and Princep Ghat, past Howrah Bridge and eventually to Dum Dum. While using public transport, be wary of
pickpockets
, especially on crowded buses.
The Metro
Despite a couple of small fires in recent years, Calcutta's Russian-designed
Metro
, inaugurated in 1984, is every bit as good as its inhabitants proudly claim, a spotless contrast to the streets above, with trains operating punctually every...
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Buses and minibuses
Calcutta supports a vast and complicated
bus
network, in operation each day between roughly 5am and 11pm, and subject to overcrowding and attendant pickpocketing problems. The profusion of bus routes, many privately run, is best explained in...
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Taxis
Taxis
in Calcutta prove to be extremely good value, especially on long journeys such as to and from the airport (around Rs130 for a twenty-kilometre ride), but a few drivers can be unwilling to go anywhere for less than Rs50, even for short...
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Trams
Calcutta's cumbersome
trams
, barely changed since they started operating in 1873, are on their way out; their inability to deviate from fixed rails to cope with the city's crazy traffic makes them more of a nuisance than anything else....
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Rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws
Calcutta is the only city in India to have
human-drawn rickshaws
, which are only available in the central areas of the city, especially around New Market where many drivers supplement their meagre income by acting as pimps. Rickshaws come into...
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