Cable car over Fulda? SPD would rather demand better bus connections!

Cable car over Fulda? SPD would rather demand better bus connections!

At a time when innovative transport solutions are needed, the FDP in Fulda is proposing a courageous project: a cable car that will take customers from the train station to the university. Mario Klotzsche, the FDP district chairman, sees this as an exciting opportunity to relieve pressure on local public transport in the city. He receives support from Dr. Jürgen Follmann, professor at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, who worked with students on feasibility studies on various routes. The studies confirm the technical feasibility, but the conclusion is clear: the whole thing will be expensive, as the Fuldaer Zeitung reports.

However, the SPD city association is skeptical about the cable car idea. Instead of investing in an expensive gondola lift, the SPD is calling for a well-thought-out concept to improve the existing bus transport. “We see an urgent need for action,” emphasizes the party, pointing to the slow implementation of the local transport plan. A better connection to national rail transport is considered more sensible. In general, the SPD considers cable cars to be of little use because they are intended for topographically challenging routes - and Fulda does not offer them, according to the unanimous opinion of party members.

Criticism of the cable car

The SPD city association is convinced that the cable car project does not have an adequate cost-benefit ratio. “The idea is too expensive, too short and offers too little benefit,” explains a spokesman. The SPD therefore recommends not pursuing the project any further, while new mobility ideas are not ruled out. The party also points out the importance of functioning, accepted public transport. This would be of the utmost importance, as bus transport in Fulda is anything but optimal.

The background of urban cable cars

The topic of urban cable cars is a fine line in German transport policy. The Federal Minister for Digital and Transport has already published guidelines to support cities and transport companies in implementing such projects. According to the BMV, cable cars are climate-friendly, can be implemented quickly and can save space. They are also independent of the weather, which can be an advantage in urban areas.

Unfortunately, there is little practical experience in the field of urban cable cars in Germany, which is highlighted by the lack of suitable projects in large cities. Sebastian Beck from Drees & Sommer SE emphasizes that in view of traffic jams, noise and emissions, urban cable cars should become increasingly important. But those responsible in Fulda do not seem to be convinced of this yet. First, existing local transport must be optimized in order to prepare citizens for the means of transport of the future.

It therefore remains to be seen whether the review of the cable car project will continue or whether the city administration will push ahead with the necessary improvements to bus transport. One thing is clear: there is a lot to do if you want to shape Fulda's mobility of the future.