Mexico City – Mexico's first aerial gondola for public transportation will sweep riders from poor neighborhoods over suburban sprawl outside the country's capital and connect them with other public transport.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto attended the inauguration of the so-called "Mexicable" Tuesday in Mexico state's Ecatapec.

Ecatapec has more than 1.7 million residents and has struggled to expand infrastructure to keep up with the growing population.

The Mexicable has the capacity to move as many as 6,000 passengers an hour and is expected to transport some 29,000 people a day between seven stations. Each of the 190 cars can carry up to 10 passengers at a cost of 6 pesos, or about 30 cents, per ride. From end to end the 4.8 km (3 mile) ride will take 17 minutes compared to 40 minutes using ground transportation.

Construction of the system, which was built under a public-private partnership with a total investment of 1.702 billion pesos, or $87 million USD, began in 2014.

The project joins similar ones in Medellin, Colombia, Rio de Janeiro and Caracas.