Cordillera - A local construction firm affiliated with a US-based solar-powered surface transportation system manufacturer has offered to conduct a feasibility study on the viability of running a solar-powered cable cars in the city.
According to Aileen Refuerzo, city information office chief, Mayor Mauricio Domogan had received an unsolicited proposal from Ryanx Construction and General Services, a local representative of US-based firm Transit X LLC to conduct the said study.
Domogan welcomed the proposal made by Rufino Barinan, chairman of the firm and had tasked the city legal office to draft a memorandum of agreement for the study that would be done at no cost to the city.
The study that will be conducted by the local firm will include the identification of suitable areas for the alternative transport and acquisition of right-of-way easements and air rights.
It will also include the environmental impact assessment of the project, as well as the effect on the livelihood of public utility vehicle operators in the city.
According to Transit X website, the solar-powered cable transport is a "fully-automated transportation network with high-capacity interchanges and stops that provide fast and wait-free travel."
"Pods, each carrying a single passenger or up to a family of five, quietly cruise above traffic under a narrow tract. Destinations are entered via smart phone or kiosk prior to boarding. Passengers board pods at stops that are as convenient as taxi or bus stops. A pod takes off and cruises nonstop until landing at the destination."
If the proposal will push forward up to its construction, Baguio City will be the first in northern Luzon to have established an eco-friendly cable car transport.