Cableways Impact Assessment Study - Final Report - saferail.nl

IA Study Concerning the Revision of the Cableways Directive
In terms of distance, in October 2010, the world’s longest aerial tramway built in
one section, which covers a distance of 5.7km, was constructed by Doppelmayr-
Garaventa in Tatev, Armenia (Tourism Armenia, nd).
In terms of capacity, higher capacity installations have been developed such as 8
seater chairlifts and ‘combined’ installations which permit chairlifts and gondola
cabins within one installation. The combined installation in Penken, Mayrhofen
(manufactured by Doppelmayr-Garaventa in 2011), is one example of this
innovation which combines an eight seater chairlift with a ten person gondola.
In terms of comfort, innovative solutions include the development of features such
as heated seats and ‘weather protection canopies’ to ensure maximum comfort for
users. In early 2012, Leitner installed an eight seater chairlift in the High Tatras
(Slovakia) and Białka Tatrzańska (Poland) which included heated seats,
comfortable seating and a blue ‘weather protection’ bubble (Leitner AG, 2012b).
In terms of environmentally friendly solutions, the Swiss company BMF has
installed a solar powered surface lift in Tenna, Switzerland, which also produces
excess electricity which is then sold (ISR, 2012).
There are also ‘basic innovations’ such as cable cars being increasingly used as a
means of transport in urban environments. Manufacturers are branching out of
traditional markets and are looking at novel applications of cableway technology,
principally through the use of cableways in urban locations for public transportation
requirements. Cableways in the urban environment are able to overcome obstacles
and other problematic features in the urban landscape such as railway lines and rivers
that other transport systems would be unable to achieve. Furthermore, cableways are
also able to connect areas that are, for topographical reasons, difficult to access. They
offer an environmentally friendly transport solution with low energy consumption,
low greenhouse gas emissions and little noise pollution (O’Connor and Dale, 2009).
O’Connor and Dale (2011) believe the urban public transport (UPT) market will
become the dominant market for the cableway industry in the future. Today there are
already UPT systems operating in the United States, Algeria, Spain, China, and Brazil
with ‘high profile’ systems proposed/planned in both Britain and Canada. It is
estimated that there are 57 systems currently proposed or under construction in South
America alone (excluding Brazil) as cities are beginning to realise the potential for
urban gondolas as part of a solution to their mobility needs. For this to happen,
‘alpine style’ systems cannot be simply transported into urban settings; rather, a
significant shift in thinking will be required to better market and adapt cable transport
technology for cities, eventually fostering its use as a mainstream transportation
option (O’Connor and Dale, 2011).
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