The photograph shows a 'Nestle Food' advertisement on an electrical tram amid several rickshaws in the background. The first steam tram service was introduced in Singapore in 1886, but was discontinued in 1894 due to its high operational costs and low profit margin. Electric tramways opened in 1905 with 50 single deck passenger cars and met with little success as its fares were more expensive than other modes of public transport such as the rickshaw. The expansion of the commercial sector created a temporary boom for the electrical tram which saw an increase in the number of passengers and the Singapore Electric Tramways Limited making a modest profit in 1909. The company went through several ups and downs thereafter and eventually wound up in 1926. The trams were then phased out and replaced with trolley buses by the end of 1927.
