A French enterprise has put forward an intriguing idea of carrying passengers on cable cars to cross over the Hong (Red) River, the iconic waterway that separates Long Bien and Hoan Kiem districts in Hanoi.

The company, known only as P.M., is specialized in cable car construction, according to a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The French firm has suggested building a cable car link from the Long Bien bus station on Tran Nhat Duat Street in Hoan Kiem District, flying over the Hong River, and touching down at Gia Lam bus station in Long Bien District.

There are currently two bridges, Long Bien and Chuong Duong, crossing the river near the proposed location of the cable car system.

The cable car link is expected to span five kilometers, including a 1.2-kilometer gondola line above the river, with each pillars standing 50-100 meter tall.

Each cabin is capable of carrying 25-30 passengers, and the system is able to whisk 7,000 passengers an hour between the two districts, according to the company’s calculation.

The French developer underlined that its proposal is realistic and feasible.

The Long Bien bus station on Tran Nhat Duat Street in Hoan Kiem District and the Gia Lam bus station in Long Bien District are seen in this Google Maps screenshot.

Vu Van Vien, director of the Hanoi Department of Transport, confirmed with Tuoi Tre about the company’s proposal on Friday.

P.M. has booked a meeting with the department’s leaders and professional agencies to present about the project, Vien said, without elaborating the date of the meeting.

"The department has no specific opinion [on the plan] now, because we have to listen to the detailed plan first,” Vien said.

The director added that his department is always open to any ideas that help solve the chronic traffic problem for Hanoi.

“Of course, the proposed solutions have to be feasible and in line with [the city’s] urban planning,” he noted.

However, none of the parties has come up with a specific financial and operating plan for the project.

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