Kolkata - Post Report Question and Answers
Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
It is not recommended to use the buses (for obvious reasons). Taxi's are safe and affordable, but you will get the gringo price if you get one off the street. Better to use Uber and the other online taxi services. None of them are really clean (like exiting the taxi with dirt and grime imbedded in your clothes) and most don't have functioning seatbelts. There is a metro, but we never used it due to the pandemic and ability to social distance on it. - Aug 2021
Yes. Uber readily available. The famous ambassador taxi fleet continues to age as they no longer make those cars. I took the subway often to get home from work, crowded but I only needed two stops, like 20 cents. - Dec 2020
Kolkata has the oldest subway in India. It is considered cheap, convenient, and clean. The local yellow taxis are notorious for poor customer service though this has started to cahnge since Uber and its local competitor Ola arrived in Kolkata. - Sep 2015
Affordable, but very dirty. Fairly safe. - Dec 2010
Buses, no. Taxis are affordable but have no A/C.There is a new company that has A/C radio taxis, but you have to call pretty far in advance. Many people ride the trains, but there are many varied results. - Jun 2009
Taxis are relatively safe and cheap, but have no A/C and are old. Buses are not advisable. People do take train trips but trains are often late. - Mar 2009
Busses are not safe -- drivers try to race each other and generally ignore traffic rules (to the extent that any driver in Calcutta adheres to them). - May 2008
