Visakhapatnam: Ropeway services resumed

Visakhapatnam: The tourist magnet of the city, Kailasagiri ropeway service, resumed its operations on Thursday to the merry of the visitors. The operation of the ropeway was temporarily shut after a cable car on the ropeway snapped, injuring six tourists, on February 1. After verification and certification by a team of experts followed by inspection by Vuda officials, the services resumed after nearly 45 days on Thursday. Speaking to this correspondent, P. Samuel, a visitor from Srikakulam, expressed his joy over the renewal of the services.

“Some of my friends who recently visited Visakhapatnam returned disappointed due to the non-functioning of the ropeway. Today, my children were pretty much impressed with the ride,” Mr Samuel added.

The ropeway was developed in 2004 at a cost of Rs 3 crore in a joint venture by the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda), the AP Tourism and the Conveyor and Ropeway Services.

Many tourists who visit Visakhapatnam prefer to go atop the hill by the ropeway as it was an easier way and provides a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. The shutdown of the ropeway also affected the tourist inflow to the Kailasagiri, which features toy trains, exhibition centres, parks and others. An estimated 1,000 tourists take a ride on the cable cars every day.