Cancel Penang Hill cable car project, CAP tells state govt
An artist’s impression of the Penang cable car project which would cost RM245 million.
PETALING JAYA: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) wants the state government to cancel its proposed Penang Hill cable car project and focus on improving public transportation and amenities on the island.
PETALING JAYA: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) wants the state government to cancel its proposed Penang Hill cable car project and focus on improving public transportation and amenities on the island.
Mohideen Abdul Kader.CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader warned that the cable car project will have serious consequences for the environment and public health.
“The provision of a cable car would lead to the construction of hotels, restaurants, theme parks, homes, and roads to cater to the increase in the number of tourists and residents.
“Such development will have a disastrous impact on the fragile hill environment and endanger the ecological balance,” he said in a statement.
The Penang government has mooted a 2.9km link between the Botanic Gardens and the top of Penang Hill.
It is slated to be built at a cost of RM245 million and with a 30-year concession.
The project, which is pending regulatory approvals, has yet to begin.
Besides that, Mohideen said currently over 5,000 people go up the Penang Hill and “this is already exceeding the carrying capacity of the hill”.
“Further increase in the number of visitors and residents, as planned by the government, will produce a substantial hike in the consumption of resources such as food, water, and energy, as well as the production of waste,” he added.
Last week two environmental groups, Malaysia Nature Society (MNS) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) expressed their objections to the proposed cable car project.
They said that the cable car carried a risk of irreversible damage to the environment.
The funicular railway was built in 1923 with minimal interference and damage to the environment, just one 2,000 meters long strip, and width counted in a few meters cut through the jungle. In the 100 years since, the jungle has virtually completely grown back.
ReplyDeleteWith strict conditions and regulations, it is possible for the cable car system to be built with minimal damage to the environment, even less than the funicular railway.
The current crowded conditions on the train and its fully maximised load not only creates an unpleasant visitor experience, it becomes a safety hazard.
A system that is loaded to the maximum day in day out inevitably leads to unexpected breakdowns and potential danger.