AZE.US
Baku may introduce new forms of urban transport in the near future, including a cable car and tram lines, Baku Executive Power head Eldar Azizov said during a roundtable held as part of WUF13.
The discussion focused on strengthening local action, multi-level governance, adequate housing and sustainable communities.
Azizov said large-scale work is underway to improve Baku’s public transport system. According to him, the city has already created more than 140 kilometers of bus lanes and 80 kilometers of bicycle lanes.
He said Baku also plans to introduce new transport solutions alongside the expansion of the metro system.
“These projects will help increase mobility in the city, reduce transport congestion and improve the environmental situation,” Azizov said.
The city has not yet announced where the proposed cable car could be built. But from the standpoint of Baku’s urban geography, one of the most logical possible routes could connect Bayil with the Boulevard and the area around State Flag Square.
Such a route would make sense for several reasons. Bayil and nearby hillside areas sit above the coastal zone, while pedestrian access down toward the sea and the Boulevard is not always convenient. A cable car could connect the upper part of the district with the waterfront, public spaces and the Flag Square area.
The project could also have a strong tourism component. A cable car descending toward the Caspian Sea would offer views of Baku Bay, the Boulevard, Flame Towers and the central skyline, potentially turning the route into a new urban attraction.
Baku already has a funicular connecting the lower part of the city with Highland Park. That means a new cable car would be more logical if it did not simply duplicate the existing route, but instead linked areas that currently lack an easy vertical connection.
Bayil appears to be one of the more natural candidates because of its slope, dense urban setting, proximity to the sea and potential connection to the Boulevard and State Flag Square.
For now, this remains a likely scenario rather than an officially confirmed route. But the idea itself shows that Baku is looking beyond the traditional transport model of buses, metro and private cars.
In a city where traffic congestion, parking pressure and road capacity remain daily concerns, such projects could become part of a more flexible urban mobility system. The key question is whether a cable car would serve as a real transport link, not merely a scenic attraction.
AZE.US