Two global cable car makers — France-based Poma and Austrian Doppelmayr Cable Car — have shown interest in developing the first ropeway service in the megapolis between Sewree and the Elephanta Island.
Earlier this year, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), which proposed the plan, had invited expression of interest (EoI) from domestic and global firms to build a ropeway in public- private partnership mode at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore.
“We recently held a pre-bid meeting which was attended by six domestic firms. Two global leaders in the cable car industry — Poma of France and Doppelmayr Cable Car of Austria — have also shown interest. In fact, Poma has already submitted the EoI. We are expecting others to follow suit soon,” an MbPT official said.
The official further said MbPT is also in the process of appointing a consultant to assist it in getting all the clearances for the project.
“We’ve invited bids for consultants who will get all the clearances for the project and hopefully we may finalise the bidder next month. We feel they’d take 6-8 months to submit their report, post which we would invite request for qualification,” the official said.
The proposed project is expected to change the landscape of this eastern waterfront of the island city, as the project also includes developing a bird observatory, renovating the Sewree Fort from where the ropeway would be built to connect the Elephanta Island.
Each ropeway will have 20 cabins with a capacity of 30 people each and the travel will take 40 minutes to Elephanta from Sewree from where currently there is no direct ferry/boat service to the island.
The port trust has also laid down a condition that the winning bidder will have to assemble the ropeway in the country.
