About 30,000 tourists ride Lumbini cable car in a month

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 16: About 30,000 tourists have boarded the Lumbini Cable Car in Lumbini Province in a month. This is the first cable car operating in the Lumbini Province.

The Lumbini Cable Car, which is the main investment of IME Group jointly with local people, came into commercial operation from May 29, 2023 and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda officially inaugurated it on June 8, 2023.

According to the Lumbini Cable Car Private Limited, about 28,679 people have boarded the cable car during one month and included special people, artists and celebrities, about 30,000 people have reached. Out of this, 7.25 per cent are Indians.

Around 11 people from third countries visited the cable car during a month’s period.

The cable car has given a 25 per cent discount on tickets to local residents and students of Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City-3 and Tinau Rural Municipality-3, 20 per cent to armed police, and senior citizens and people with disabilities have also been given a discount on tickets, said the company.

At the top station, there are statues of Kamakhya Devi, hundred years old temple of Bhagwati, religious places, enough space and structures for sightseeing, so a significant number of tourists have come within a month of its operation, it said.

As the top station of the 2.6 km cable car is located at an altitude of about 3,000 feet above sea level, the climate there is cool in summer and warm in winter, making it an attractive destination for domestic and Indian tourists.

Chairman of Lumbini Cable Car Chandra Prasad Dhakal said that a five-star hotel with 150 rooms, a casino, a banquet hall with a capacity of 1,000 people and a swimming pool was being built at the top station at a cost of Rs. 1.50 billion.

Dhakal said that the Lumbini Cable Car operation had added new tourist destinations to Butwal and Palpa and this would contribute to prolonging the stay of tourists.

President of Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ujwal Kasaju said that the operation of Lumbini Cable Car can compensate for shifting the capital of Lumbini Province to Dang from Butwal.  

He said that support from all was a must to make such a big project a success.

The operation manager of cable car DN Kayastha Sainju said that there is an agreement that out of 2 per cent amount of each ticket fee of the cable car, Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City and Tinau Rural Municipality will get 1 per cent each.

The ticket price of the second longest Lumbini Cable Car out of six operating in Nepal is Rs. 750 for Nepalis and IRs 750 for Indians.

Prem Shrestha, Chairman of Tinau Rural Municipality, said that because the cable car will give 1 per cent each of ticket price to two local levels, this will greatly contribute to the long-term development of Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City and Tinau Rural Municipality.