ANTANANARIVO — A $173 million cable car system in Antananarivo, Madagascar, ceased operations weeks after its launch following technical failures and high operating costs. The infrastructure project, promoted and inaugurated by former President Andry Rajoelina, became a focal point for public discontent preceding his removal from office.

Construction of the system took three years and was funded with loans from France. Officials stated the cable cars could carry up to 75,000 people a day and remove 2,000 vehicles from the roads. They also projected that commute times would drop from up to three hours to between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the route. At the unveiling, Rajoelina and his prime minister rode the cable cars to demonstrate the new transit option.

Rajoelina defended the choice of cable transport over other modes. He stated that light rail would not work in Antananarivo due to the area's marshlands. "Antananarivo was built for 300,000 inhabitants. Now there are three million of us," he said.

The fare for the system was set between 70 and 90 U.S. cents per trip. This price is six to eight times the cost of riding in a minibus taxi. According to a 2022 World Bank report, the average monthly salary for a commuter in Madagascar is around $72. Poverty affects approximately 75% of the country’s population of 30 million people.

Public transport planning consultant Pieter Onderwater criticized the pricing structure relative to local incomes. "Obviously people will not use it because money is far more key than time," Onderwater said. He added that commuters would prefer traffic delays over the expense.

"The price is six times higher than a conventional (minibus) taxi? Well then, we just sit in traffic because we know better things to do with that money," Onderwater said.

Operational reliability also drew skepticism from residents. The system experienced electricity outages that often halted operations. The cable car system required approximately €162,000 (US$188,725) per month in electricity bills, despite frequent power outages in Antananarivo.

Erica, a shop owner, questioned the safety of the elevated transport during blackouts. "In a city where they cannot even fix the roads, how can we trust being more than 20 meters (65 feet) above the ground when there is a power cut?" she said. She also asked, "And if something goes wrong, how long would it take them to fix it?" The cable car system does not go directly into the city center of Antananarivo.

Rajoelina was deposed in a military coup late last year following youth-led protests alleging widespread government failures. During the protests that led to his ouster, several key symbols of his administration were targeted. Some cable car stations were burned or damaged during the unrest. Prior to the cable car project, Rajoelina had faced criticism for his handling of infrastructure projects, including the Antananarivo light rail system, which was abandoned due to technical challenges and high costs.

Michael Randrianirina, a former army colonel and coup leader, leads the transitional government that took over in October. The transitional government has not announced any plans for the cable car system. In 2023, the World Bank reported that Madagascar's GDP per capita had declined by nearly 50% since 1960, making it one of the few countries to experience such a decline over that period. The World Bank has provided multiple development loans to Madagascar over the past decade, including support for transportation and infrastructure projects, though none have been specifically linked to the cable car system.

The failure of the cable car system illustrates the challenges of implementing large-scale infrastructure in a city where the population has increased by more than 10 times since the 1960s. Antananarivo’s growth reflects broader trends, as Africa’s urban population of 700 million people is expected to double by 2050, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The project’s collapse coincided with widespread allegations of government failure, contributing to the political instability that resulted in a change of leadership.

Why It Matters

The project's failure shows the risks of implementing expensive, loan-funded infrastructure in cities where fares exceed local earning capacity and power grids remain unreliable. With Antananarivo's population growing tenfold since the 1960s, the shutdown leaves a critical transit gap unfilled as Africa's urban population doubles. The lack of a restart plan from the new transitional government means the $173 million investment currently offers no return for commuters facing hours-long delays.