In mountainous Colombia, many urban people live in the hills surrounding the cities. That makes it challenging for them to commute to jobs in the city centers.
So cable cars aren't just a pretty tourist attraction either. In Medellín, the Metrocable system is a mass transit system that connects low-income neighborhoods with the bustling downtown.
Source: Atlas Obscura
The Metrocable, opened in 2004, is a fascinating example of public transit that's a bit unorthodox but has managed to connect informal neighborhoods in the hills surrounding Medellín to jobs in the city center.
Source: Atlas Obscura
I visited Bogotá in January, and found out that a low-income locality near the capital city had just launched its own version of public transit via cable car — the TransMiCable.
Source: EFE
TransMiCable costs 70 cents per ride and connects a public housing project of about 700,000 to Bogotá's downtown. A local resident said his trip to the city center has gone from 1.5 hours to just ten minutes.
I was excited to take a cable car in Colombia to the famous Monserrate, the locale of a 17th-century church and an excellent spot for overlooking the city and sunset.
But the cable car was out of commission that day — and had been since Christmas 2018 when a cable car mishap left 28 injured. One of the cabin cars, while descending, didn't break in time and ended up hitting the rail wall.
Source: Vaaju
