On its way to becoming a smart city, Varanasi has decided to test ropeways to beat traffic congestion and pollution.
This heritage city of India has been facing severe traffic congestion problems for a decade. Home to one of the most worshipped temples in India, Varanasi always has inflowing traffic that severely impacts the lives of people living in the city.
Taking this into consideration, the government has begun work on improving the public transport system. Unfortunately, the city is imbibed with narrow roads that make it difficult to plan a metro or monorail. Hence, the proposal of a ropeway is taking shape.
According to the Chairman of Varanasi Development Agency (VDA) Deepak Agarwal, RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) and an engineering consultancy company that specialises in the transport infrastructure will come together for the program. They have begun a survey on three routes for this ropeway and are expecting a good outcome.
The three proposed routes of the ropeway could be the following:
- Shivpur to Sigra and Lanka.
- Kuccheri to Lahurabir, Maidagin, and Gudauliya.
- Lahartara to Banaras Hindu University.
Progress in the proposal of Cable Cars
Vice-Chairman of the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA), Rajesh Kumar, said that this proposal is under study and further intimation will be given in the future. He also said that RITES is studying the feasibility of the project and checking whether single ropeway or double ropeway would be feasible. The study is expected to be completed soon and subsequently, the work will move onto the next stage, whereby the team would prepare a detailed project report of the same.
Image Source: Trip Advisor
No bids have been invited for the construction so far and this will be undertaken only when all initial preparations are done. Rajesh Kumar believes that ropeway has an excellent potential to ease road congestion and reduce pollution for the greater good.
Situation in Varanasi Regarding the Cable Cars
Throughout India, until now, cable cars have been limited to just tourist destinations. Varanasi is definitely going to bring a change in that outlook.
Doppelmayr, an Austrian company that has put cable cars in a few famous cities across the world, has made a proposal for the cable car system in the city. According to Vikram Singhal, the Managing Director of Doppelmayr’s Indian operations, the cable cars will be more frequent and quicker. There will be no waiting time for the commuters, bringing much relief and convenience.
Image Source: Twitter
The Ropeway is expected to ferry around 12,000 people an hour
Chairman of VDA, Deepak Agarwal said that RITES has been asked to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan by integrating ropeways with mini-metro, bus rapid transport system and waterways for the city. It is expected to make a presentation about the same before the stakeholders following which the information will be shared with the central government of India.
Image Source: Times of India
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