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GEORGE TOWN: Penang has selected Hartasuma Sdn Bhd to build its first 2.9km cable car from the Botanic Gardens to the Penang Hill station.
The project is expected to take about three years to complete.
Hartasuma beat five others in the request for proposal (RfP), and will fully fund the development of the project. It will be given a 30-year operator concession.
Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said Hartasuma was selected because of its vast experience in the rail industry.
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He said the project would be a “greener mode of transport” and help reduce the high load on the present funicular train service.
“We hope it will help redistribute traffic, particularly during the peak seasons,” he told a press conference.
“We also hope this greener mode of transportation will further enhance the tourism experience and contribute to the socio-economy of the surrounding areas.”
A large multi-storey car park will be built on the grounds of the Botanic Gardens, connecting it to the cable car station.
From there, the gondolas will serve 1,000 persons at any one time at a speed of 6 metres per second, operating at about 700m above sea level to the Penang Hill station.
Penang Hill Corporation general manager LL Cheok said the project would not cause overcrowding on the hill as feared by NGOs.
He said based on a feasibility study there had never been more than 1,400 people on the hill station at any one time.
Meanwhile, Hartasuma group executive director Ravindran Menon said it would acquire cable cars from Doppelmayr, an Austrian company, for the project.
He said the project would begin once the necessary approvals were obtained.
Menon said the company expects to recoup the cost of the project in 15 years. - FMT
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