Madagascar spent $170 million on a cable car system in its capital, Antananarivo, designed to ease traffic congestion and shorten commutes, but the system has been unused since a military coup ousted former President Andry Rajoelina last year, according to fortune.com. The cable cars were inaugurated in 2024 and aimed to serve up to 75,000 commuters daily in one of sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest-growing cities.
The cable car project was promoted by Rajoelina as a solution to the city’s chronic traffic jams caused by overcrowded minibus taxis and the city’s rapid population growth, which has increased from 300,000 to three million residents. He argued that light rail was not feasible due to the region’s marshlands. At the system’s opening, Rajoelina and his prime minister rode the cable cars above Antananarivo’s steep hills and dense neighborhoods, calling the launch a landmark moment comparable to France’s Eiffel Tower.
Officials projected the cable cars would remove 2,000 vehicles from the roads daily and reduce commute times from up to three hours to between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the route. Despite these promises, the system operated only for a few weeks before becoming inactive amid political turmoil. The project has drawn criticism from residents questioning the prioritization of cable cars over basic infrastructure needs like running water in one of the world’s poorest countries.
The cable car cables remain suspended above Antananarivo, unused since the coup that deposed Rajoelina late last year following youth-led protests over government failures, as reported by fortune.com.