Penang Hill cable car project gets okay

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang Hill is blessedly cool, panoramic, full of flora and fauna and, at more than 2,730ft above sea level, offers a breathtaking view of the island.

But the wait for the funicular train to the top is exasperatingly long, especially during peak season.

The solution could be nigh. A cable car trip, offering a great view on the way up as well, is on the cards.

The Penang Hill Cable Car project, estimated to cost RM245mil, has been awarded to local rail company Hartasuma Sdn Bhd.

The estimated 2.9km cable car line will boast 43 carriages and can ferry 1,000 passengers per hour. The company will have a 30-year concession period.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced yesterday that six candidates had replied to the Request for Proposal (RFP).

“Hartasuma was recommended by the Evaluation Committee and approved by the state government’s tender board.”

Chow said the lower cable car station would be located near the Botanic Gardens and will become another iconic tourist attraction in addition to the almost 100-year-old funicular railway from Ayer Itam.

He said the hill saw about 1.3 million to 1.8 million visitors a year and he hoped the cable car would help in tourist-load balancing.

“The estimated investment is expected to be RM245mil and the project is based on a 30-year concession,” he said in his speech when awarding the contract at Komtar yesterday.

Chow, the chairman of Penang Hill Corporation (PHC), said Hartasuma had delivered more than 400 rail cars to some of the largest public transport projects in Kuala Lumpur, including the Kelana Jaya LRT Line.

The company was also involved in the Langkawi Cable Car project.

PHC general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said the lower station would be located away from the Botanic Gardens, adding that could either be where the Penang Rifle Club is now located or at the city council food court nearby.

Hartasuma executive director Tan Sri Ravindran Menon said the actual construction phase would take between 18 and 20 months.

“However, all the necessary approvals may take some time,” he said.

Environmentalists, however, are not happy.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said they and other non-governmental organisations, including Consumers Association of Penang, had last year raised concerns about the proposed cable car project.

“Our concerns in opposing the cable car stem from the need to ensure environmental and biodiversity sustainability as well as management and conservation of Penang Hill, especially since it is a Unesco-Biosphere Reserve.

“A detailed environmental and social impact assessment is needed as required by the law. The project must involve public consultation and transparency,” she said.