The cable car to Ještěd has a chance to become a national monument; a proper proposal is being processed.

Liberec – The cable car to Ještěd, which has been out of service for more than two years following a tragic accident, has a chance to be designated as a cultural monument. The Ministry of Culture deemed the proposal reasonable, said the ministry's spokesperson Ivana Awwadová to ČTK. According to her, the declaration of the cable car as a monument was suggested by one citizen.

"And they have requested the NPÚ (National Heritage Institute) Liberec to prepare a proper proposal for declaring the matter as a cultural monument," she stated.

Currently, they are awaiting responses from the participants in the proceedings. "Until the issuance of a final decision, the Ministry of Culture will not comment on the progress or results of the administrative proceedings. The length or outcome of the administrative proceedings cannot be predicted at this time," Awwadová added.

The two-cabin aerial cable car to Ještěd was built between 1932 and 1933 at the expense of the Czechoslovak State Railways by the Chrudim company František Wiesner. The cable car transported around a quarter of a million passengers annually with its two cabins. It has been out of service since the end of October 2021, when the traction cable broke and one of the two cabins fell. During the accident, the conductor, who was alone in the cabin designed for 35 people, died. The police have charged four individuals and one company with public endangerment due to negligence in connection with this accident. The cable car belongs to Českých drah, which has filed a complaint against the charges.

České dráhy do not wish to continue operating the cable car and are negotiating with Liberec regarding the terms of sale. The price should be determined based on a review report, which the carrier agreed to prepare with the city. The costs of restoring the cable car's operation are estimated to be more than a quarter of a billion crowns.