Ajaccio Launches its first urban cable car to ease traffic congestion

Saturday 18 October 2025 - 07:30

By: Sahili Aya

Ajaccio Launches its first urban cable car to ease traffic congestion

Ajaccio, October 18, 2025 — The Corsican city of Ajaccio inaugurated on Saturday its first urban cable car, named Angelo, marking a milestone as the first city in the Mediterranean basin to adopt this mode of transport. The project, costing €38 million—70% funded by the French state—aims to reduce traffic congestion and promote sustainable mobility in the island’s most populated city.

Rising 54 meters above the seafront, the cable line connects the Saint-Joseph district to Mezzavia, a fast-growing economic and residential hub. The route spans three kilometers with two intermediate stops, including one serving the regional hospital, a college, a concert hall, and a sports complex.

With 34 cabins accommodating up to 12 passengers and two bicycles each, Angelo can carry between 1,000 and 1,500 passengers per hour in each direction. Operating daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., the journey takes 12 minutes end to end.

Ajaccio’s mayor, Stéphane Sbraggia, describes the project as a “response to years of planning oversight” in an area burdened by heavy traffic due to rapid urban expansion. He argues that the new line will “improve public health by reducing car dependency,” as 75% of trips under three kilometers on the island are still made by car.

The local transport authority, CAPA, has also introduced a €30 monthly multimodal pass covering buses, maritime shuttles, and the cable car. The system would become profitable with 3,600 daily passengers, out of an estimated 21,000 potential users.

However, the initiative has sparked political controversy ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. Nationalist groups such as Femu a Corsica and Core in Fronte have criticized it as “disproportionate and unnecessary,” while the National Rally party has denounced its environmental impact. Some residents also question its accessibility, particularly for elderly people traveling to the hospital.

Despite criticism, supporters point to success stories elsewhere: Brest, Toulouse, and Saint-Denis in Réunion have seen strong adoption of their urban cable cars, with Brest recording over one million trips in 2024 and Toulouse more than five million since its 2022 launch.

A fifth French urban cable car is scheduled to open in December in the Paris region, connecting Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and Créteil via Valenton and Limeil-Brévannes.