The Pune ropeway project linking the Sarasbaug-Parvati area has moved to the planning stage after the Pune Municipal Corporation standing committee approved the appointment of a management consultant. The consultant will examine the route, prepare a detailed project report and cost estimate, and frame the conditions for the tender process.
Standing committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said the civic body had proposed the ropeway to promote tourism in the city. The project has been provided for in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s 2026-27 budget, which includes an allocation of Rs 1 crore for the proposal.
The civic body does not currently have the specialist manpower required for an electrically and mechanically operated ropeway. The appointed consultant will therefore be responsible for project planning, technical and financial feasibility assessment, preparation of the detailed project report and support for the tendering process.
The consultant will also inspect the proposed project site and prepare the estimated project cost and tender terms and conditions. The assignment will include identifying the government approvals required for the ropeway and determining the process through which those permissions will be secured.
According to the preliminary route details reported for the proposal, the ropeway is planned between Peshwe Park and Parvati, within the broader Sarasbaug-Parvati project area. The proposed line would be 750 metres long and include five towers ranging from 12 metres to 40 metres in height. The plan provides for 22 cabins, with each cabin designed to carry eight passengers.
The proposed travel time is two and a half minutes, while the stated transport capacity is 1,500 passengers per hour in one direction. These figures are preliminary project parameters and will be examined during the consultant’s technical and financial assessment.
The consultant will also study whether the project is financially viable under a public-private partnership model or through the design-build-finance-operate-transfer model. The choice of delivery method will depend on the feasibility assessment, estimated costs, required permissions and the conditions eventually included in the tender.
The standing committee’s approval does not constitute construction approval or the start of ropeway operations. The immediate next steps are the appointment of the consultant, site inspection, preparation of the detailed project report and determination of the project’s estimated cost and implementation framework.
