Sky transport of Bolivia: no congestion, quicker trips to work

Sky transport of Bolivia: no congestion, quicker trips to work

A $234m cable car route linking La Paz and El Alto is offering clean, affordable transport to people in both cities – and great views

Sam Jones in La Paz
Wednesday 31 December 2014 07.00 EST


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Cable cars head from El Alto down to La Paz. Photograph: Sam Jones/The Guardian
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María Eugenia Flores hops out of a bright yellow capsule halfway down a La Paz hillside and pauses to ponder the benefits of the latest addition to the city’s vertiginous skyline.

Despite views that induce awe – or acute nausea, jittery sweats and the sudden rediscovery of religious faith depending on your tolerance of heights – what impresses her most about the cable car system that now links La Paz and its nearby sister city, El Alto, is its sheer tranquility and cleanliness.

“I used to have to take the minibus to get to work and that was horrible,” says the 37-year-old businesswoman. “The cable car is quicker but, best of all, you don’t arrive at work with a headache from all the traffic fumes.”

The newfound freedom to float safely and quietly over Bolivia’s administrative capital, far above the taxis and gaudy buses that pump black clouds of smoke into the already thin air is cherished by the people of La Paz and El Alto alike.

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/dec/31/sky-transport-of-bolivia-no-congestion-quicker-trips-to-work