This photograph is part of a series which depicts the sights and scenes of 19th and 20th century Singapore.Trams were first introduced into Singapore in 1886 by the Singapore Tramways Company as an alternative form of public transportation to rival horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws and bullock carts. The private enterprise proved to be unprofitable as the high fares dissuaded most people from taking trams. In desperation, the company tried unsuccessfully to sell its assets to the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company just three years after starting operations. In 1894, the tram network was finally shut down and it was not until 1905 that an electric tram service was opened. Operated by Singapore Electric Tramways Limited, this new network was hardly more successful than its predecessor initially, and it was only after a revamp and fare restructuring exercise that the company started to turn a decent profit in 1923. Despite this turnaround, the municipality commissioners decided not to renew the tramway concessions as the fine state of the tram tracks compared to the roads proved to be a source of embarrassment for them. The tram company was wound up and a new entity, the Singapore Traction Company, was formed in 1925 to operate electric-powered trolley buses.
