Hiatus: The chairlift that spoils your picnic plans
Even three months after the chairlift in Ayubia was suspended, a major tourist attraction in Galiyat, no concrete steps have been taken to restore the service.
This spells bad news for not only tourists but also businessmen running shops, eateries and pushcart owners, who depend on tourists to earn their living.
The service was suspended in December, according to locals and official sources in Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), after the suspended cable on which the passenger seats are strung reportedly developed some fault.
Despite demands from tourists and locals, GDA has not been able to fix the chairlift. “They have deliberately suspended the service to penalise local businessmen, who have been pointing out corrupt practices of its officials,” said Usman, a hotelier in Ayubia Bazar.
The authority had a budget worth millions at its disposal for maintenance and repairs which had not been used, he added. Tourists will have to wait till GDA upgrades the facility, said GDA official.
When approached for comments, GDA director Akhlaq Khan told The Express Tribune that the chairlift was in a shambles for the last several years and needed to be upgraded.
To cater to tourists’ demands, the provincial government decided to replace the chairlift, for which Rs500 million has been allocated.
Private contractors had been asked to submit proposals for upgrading the chairlift last October, to make the ride safer and more exciting for passengers.
In the first phase, the official said the bidding process failed to attract contractors to agree to install a chairlift on Build Operate and Transfer basis. Proposals have been invited once again for which the deadline is March 12.
The chairlift was suspended to avert any untoward incident, said Khan. He said GDA would replace the chairlift before the beginning of the summer season.
Spread over an area of about 26kms, Ayubia is a complex of four picturesque hill stations comprising Ghora Daka, Khanaspur, Khaira Gali and Changla Gali. The chairlift was installed in the region in the late 1960s at Ghora Daka.
The one-and-a-half kilometre long chairlift has 110 seats and is manually operated. GDA had leased the chairlift to a private party. The previous bid was won by a contractor for Rs98 million for five years, but the agreement was never renewed, according to official sources.
Tourists from across the country throng Ayubia for enjoying the half-hour ride on the chairlift in summers. Some also brave the chill in winters to take a ride up in the hills to enjoy the snow-covered vista.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2012.
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