The proposal by a French firm to build cable cars over the Red River in Hanoi to ease traffic congestion has been questioned.

The cable cars would connect Long Bien Bus Station in Hoan Kiem District with Gia Lam Bus Station in Long Bien across the Red River

The cable cars proposed by the POMA Group, a French ropeway transportation firm, would connect Long Bien Bus Station in Hoan Kiem District with Gia Lam Bus Station in Long Bien across the Red River. 

The line which has an investment of VND1.3 trillion (USD59 million), would be five kilometres long, including 1.2 kilometres over the Red River.

Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thuy, former director of the Transport Publishing House under the Ministry of Transport, believed it was unprecedented project.

“Building cable cars in a delta region is a rare case. It is often seen at cities located in high mountainous areas like Switzerland. No country in the world has ever built cable cars between stations”, Thuy said.

The cable cars would have a capacity of 4,000 people per hour, which he claimed was not very effective to deal with traffic jams.

Dr. Pham Sy Liem, vice president of Vietnam Construction Association, said that cable cars take up little space but it is very important to arrange big parking lots at the two sides of the cable cars. How to build such big parking lots to serve a large number of passengers was the question.

Laodong/dtinews