INDIA CROSSING THE RIVER GANGES Kolkata bus. Buses are chaotic and can get terribly crowded. A better choice is the slow; trundling trams which circle the city and include stops at Park Circus; Sealdah Railway Station and Howrah. The Metro underground system has thankfully taken something of the congestion from the streets. The one track runs the length of the city; from Dum Dum train station (north) to Tollygunge (south) with stops including Kalighat; Park Street; Esplanade and Maidan. It is well run although often crowded (mainly during morning and evening rush hours); with segregated seats for men and women. There are still some hand-pulled rickshaws mainly in market areas and some around Sudder Street; although there is talk of eventually banning them altogether. Cycle-rickshaws operate in a few areas outside the city centre. Auto-rickshaws (motorised three-wheelers) operate short (often fixed) journeys in city areas (not in the centre) and are cheaper than taxis; agree the fare before you zoom away and seek advice from locals as to what you should be paying before you get in.