Ropeways: Drivers of Social Inclusion in Large Cities

Although it is true that cable cars as an urban transportation system have come into vogue in recent decades in large capitals around  the world and, above all, in Latin America, this is not a recent invention. Primitive examples have been found in countries like China, India and Japan, although they evolved during the Middle Ages, as they were used for the construction of forts and castles.  

Their original purpose was to transport materials. The first ropeway developed by Garaventa, which is part of the Doppelmayr group, dates back to 1928. It was built on Mount Rigi in Switzerland and was used to move wooden logs more conveniently. After the First World War, tourism in Lech and Zürs, Austria, began to boom thanks to skiing, which made it necessary to develop the region's infrastructure and provide more access to the slopes. Thanks to this, Doppelmayr built a ski lift in the beginners' area in Zürs in 1937, which became Austria's first ski lift and marked the beginning of a long tradition of cable cars both at home and abroad. 

Even though winter tourism has been the company's main market, in recent years, it has developed cable cars for urban transportation. Even Latin America has not lagged behind in the adoption of these transportation systems. In Bolivia alone there is the La Paz cable car, inaugurated in 2014, which has 10 lines in operation, with frequency intervals of 12 seconds, which allowed it to obtain a Guinness Record in 2018 for being the longest on a global scale. This system connects the capital with El Alto, the highest city in the world, where more than 30,000 inhabitants reside and which is located at 4,150m. It is not only the highest, but also the most extensive, since the network covers 33km, through which it has transported more than 455 million passengers from the beginning of operations to date.

However, its historic place will be snatched by Mexico once Doppelmayr completes Line 3 of the Cablebus, the length of which will be more than 38km, including not only the lines in Mexico City , but also those operating in the state of Mexico.

Third position goes to Colombia, whose 29km network serves Bogota, Medellin, Manizales and Pereira. In addition, in this country we were awarded the contract for the construction of the San Cristóbal urban ropeway in Bogota, which will be the city's second overhead public transport r. The system will have 144 cabins that will be responsible for moving  more than 400,000 residents from southeastern Bogota in an estimated time of 10 minutes per trip.

In fourth place is Santo Domingo, whose cable car network is 15km long, followed by Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina with 8.2, 6.5, 4.8 and 3.1km, respectively. These serve users in the cities of Santiago, Quito, Guayaquil, Chachapoyas, Bariloche and San Bernardo de Salta. 

In a previous article, I mentioned that the global ropeway market will reach US$9.4 billion in seven years, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8% between 2022 and 2030, according to a study by Global Industry Analysts, while Future Market Insights, another analysis firm, believes it could reach US$11.5 billion in 2032, based on the industry's market value of US$4.2 billion in 2022.

This shows that the industry will only grow, as the ropeway as an urban transport system brings with it a number of social benefits. It not only reduces distances, but also allows thousands of people living in vulnerable neighborhoods to travel quickly, sustainably and efficiently to urban centers.

It also makes it possible to connect high areas where it is impossible to build transportation, such as a metro, or where buses arrive only sparsely, which significantly reduces travel times. In addition, the areas surrounding the stations come alive, become safer and the economy is reactivated, as businesses begin to proliferate in the area, which improves the welfare and quality of life of families. 

Not only that. Local governments also begin to allocate resources to improve these areas, through the installation of parks, public libraries and recreational areas, which help to regenerate the social fabric and reduce the incidence of crime, without forgetting that there is a lower generation of emissions, since there are fewer vehicles circulating in these areas of the city. 

Thus, ropeways are a great tool for social inclusion, as they allow people living in remote neighborhoods to access better study and employment opportunities that they could not previously access due to distances and lack of transportation, which undoubtedly permeates into their families and communities.

Ropeways are not only a form of transportation that is in vogue, but also a tool for social transformation, as they have become meeting and exchange places where both people and economic centers converge. This allows families to have well-being and improves their quality of life. 

And let’s not forget the many environmental benefits they generate for the population, since they help to avoid the emission of polluting gases, helping to improve air quality, which undoubtedly has a direct impact on the health of the population. Thus, ropeways do much more than reduce environmental gaps; they also benefit more than just a few.