An art gallery on a tram will be available to artists — budding and professionals — to display their works from December.

The tram will be parked at Shyambazar, Esplanade and Gariahat for a few hours for visitors, who will have to pay Rs 6 to enter.

“The idea is to make art exhibitions accessible, especially to students who will be offered concessions,” said Rajanvir Singh Kapur, the managing director of the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC). “Instead of people visiting an art gallery in one corner of the city, the tram will take art exhibitions to all parts of the city.”

Officials said a tram car had been readied for this purpose by the in-house team of engineers at the Nonapukur workshop.

One can book the tram for Rs 3,600 a day or Rs 6,000 for two days. Artists from schools, colleges or charitable organisations will be offered concessions — up to 50 per cent — if they hold exhibitions for a social cause.

Officials said the gallery-on-wheels was a tribute to the city that has always celebrated art. “We want to present trams in different forms to the people of Calcutta,” said an WBTC official.

Members of the Calcutta Tram Users Association have often held that while many cities were busy developing their heritage and culture by preserving and restoring the transport system, Calcutta seemed to be walking away from it.

“Popular routes are being done away with. Why?” asked Debasish Bhattacharyya, of the association.