Varanasi to have country’s first ropeway as public transport
Covering an aerial distance of around 4.2 kilometers, the ropeway is expected to save time and money for the tourists
Varanasi, Oct 3 (UNI) Varanasi, the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency, will soon become the first Indian city to use ropeway services in public transportation.
The world’s third and India’s first public transport ropeway is proposed to be constructed from Cantt Railway Station (Varanasi Junction) to Church Square (Godauliya) to ease the traffic congestion.
Soon, with the commencement of this ropeway worth Rs 424 crore, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Dashashwamedh Ghat will be easily accessible. Covering an aerial distance of around 4.2 kilometers, the ropeway is expected to save time and money for the tourists who have to face traffic jams en route to one of the oldest cities in the world, also known as the Gateway of Eastern India.
The ropeway project has been envisaged both for easing traffic as well as boosting tourism to the city of Ghats.
Vice-Chairman of the Varanasi Development Authority Isha Duhan said here on Sunday , “India will be the third country in the world after Bolivia, Mexico City and Varanasi will be the first city to use a ropeway for public transport.”
This pilot project, keeping the originality of Kashi, is being developed in a state-of-the-art manner on the lines of Kyoto, she added.
Providing details of the project, she said, “As per the final alignment, the main terminus will be at Cantt railway station while other stations will be at Sajan Tiraha, Rathyatra, and Girjaghar (Godowlia) crossings.
The total distance of 4.2 km will be fixed in about 15 minutes. The trolley car with around 220 trolleys will run at a height of about 45 meters. Each cable car will have 10 seats. These cars will move in a gap of 90 seconds to 120 seconds. 4000 people will be able to travel in one direction at a time. That is, 8000 people will be able to come from both directions at once.
The ropeway will also run at night. The government of India will bear 80 percent of the cost of the project while the state government will spend 20 percent. The VC of Varanasi Development Authority also informed that all the stations built for the ropeway will show a glimpse of Kashi’s art, religion, and culture. There is a bus station near Cantt railway station. Therefore, by building a ropeway station at Cantt station, both the passengers traveling by train and bus will be facilitated.
After completing the survey, the company has prepared the feasibility report which has been sent by the local administration to the government. The entire project will be built on the PPP model.