Melbourne gets a rolling landmark from Karachi

SYDNEY: Melbourne commuters will soon get a feel of Karachi in their own city of colonial charm and modern panache.

The Karachi-based Nusrat Iqbal and his team of vehicle decorators have transformed a Melbourne tram to bring the experience of a journey on the famous W-11 Karachi minibus to the streets of Melbourne.

Every Friday only, from November 3, the tram will ply every 50minutes from 4pm to 9pm on the popular free City Circle tourist tram route, passing through major colonial institutional buildings like the Flinders Street train station, state of Victoria’s Parliament house, exhibition buildings and the city’s most recent and major civic meeting point, the Federation Square.

With its passionate displays of hand cut chamak patti, impeccable Urdu calligraphy on the doors, Paranda hangings from side mirrors, glittering Jhalars on the ceiling, intricately decorated seat covers, the tram resounds with the lyrics of Noor Jehan.

As coordinators of this public art project artists Mick Douglas of Melbourne and Durriya Kazi of Karachi said, “In an increasingly homogenising and homogenised world, the W-11 is a claim for the human spirit to not be overlooked. A spirit of generosity and yearning for life will be transported by the W-11 as it encircles the city with its sides emblazoned with pyar zindagi hai (love is life), as if to radiate an aura of goodwill. This vehicle reminds us of our simple human capacity to move, and be moved”.

Douglas doesn’t rule out more cultural exchanges of this nature in the future. “Who knows!  My work often involves cross cultural or inter-disciplinary aspects”. He edited Tramjatra: Imagining Melbourne and Kolkata by tramways, which undertakes a journey between the two cities through the medium of trams.

Tramways systems were initiated throughout cities of the British Empire at the turn of the 19th century, including in Karachi, Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. Melbourne is one of the few cities of the Commonwealth to have retained and expanded the trams, along with Calcutta.

It has the third largest tram network in the world with 249 kilometres of double track. It is the only suburban network in Australia still in existence and during 2002-2003, 141 million trips were taken on trams in the city.

Paul Learmonth, who took a ride on the Melbourne W-11 during its peek preview at the Commonwealth Games in March said, “This is totally fabulous and has put a smile on everyone’s face!” “It was one of the best rides of our lives. Mate it’s a bloody ripper!” said another commuter.

Melbourne’s new rolling landmark will certainly transport people in between the realms of Karachi and Melbourne.