The Poma: Santiago De Los Caballeros Inaugurates Its First Aerial Tramway
The city of Santiago de los Caballeros inaugurated its first ropeway transportation line in the presence of the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader.
This third line built in the space of six years in the Dominican Republic by POMA, the world leader in urban ropeway transportation, meets the need for sustainable and efficient mobility to develop its urban territory.
Santiago de los Caballeros inaugurates its first aerial tramway as part of its urban development
Convinced by POMA's know-how and expertise, the Dominican Republic has once again called upon the Isère-based manufacturer for a third aerial tramway. After working in the capital Santo Domingo, POMA will be supporting the urban development of the country's second-largest city, Santiago de los Caballeros. The project, which began in autumn 2021, is the third to be built in the Dominican Republic in the space of six years, making ropeway transportation the symbol of innovative, virtuous mobility for the country's urban population. Accessible to all, this 12-seater gondola lift runs for nearly four kilometres. It is at the heart of a project supported by the Dominican government: Santiago's SIT (Integrated Transport System), a multimodal scheme for soft and sustainable mobility. In addition to this new ropeway transportation line, it will also include a monorail and will provide ample room for the use of bicycles and electric buses.
The gondola lift is equipped with the latest-generation DirectDrive® motor to offer reliable, fast and eco-friendly transport for 4,000 people per hour at a speed of 7m/s. Its 12-seater cabins feature the emblematic red colour of the city. They can fly over densely populated areas that are home to 130,000 people, and are saturated during rush hour, to connect the four stations in just 10 minutes. With this line, the authorities hope to give a new economic and social impetus to the area.
The Dominican Republic has made the strategic choice to move towards ropeway transportation
Since 2018, the Dominican Republic, and more specifically the city of Santo Domingo, has chosen to turn to ropeway transportation as an innovative, low-impact solution to the challenges of urban mobility. With its congested urban space, the country is seeking to integrate sustainable transport alternatives that will reduce daily commuting times. This solution's ability to integrate into the surrounding environment also means that it can reach remote neighbourhoods with little impact on the environment.
As well as providing fast and efficient connections, aerial tramways reduce road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and provide easier access to areas that would otherwise be difficult to reach. Following the opening of the first 5-km, 100% horizontal urban gondola lift in the north-east of Santo Domingo and a second 4.2-km line featuring the fastest monocable system in the world in the north-west of the capital to reach the city centre even more quickly, now the city of Santiago de los Caballeros has chosen ropeway transportation.
As well as carrying out these three projects, POMA is also responsible for the long-term maintenance and availability of these lines. An Operations and Maintenance contract gives the Dominican government the guarantee that the service will run smoothly, allowing users to travel on these lines with complete peace of mind. A local POMA team, with the help of an operating partner, is mobilised on a daily basis to ensure the reliability of the ropeway systems.
“We are delighted with the Dominican government’s renewed trust in us with this third project. The success of the first two lines in Santo Domingo demonstrates the effectiveness and impact of ropeway transportation in congested urban areas. The inauguration of this gondola lift in Santiago de los Caballeros will enable the residents of the areas concerned to get around more quickly using a low-carbon, eco-friendly solution.” said President Of Poma Fabien Felli
