THE Penang Hill funicular train will be ferrying fewer passengers per trip when the hill reopens to visitors tomorrow (March 5).
Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said the corporation has decided to reduce the passenger load to 60 people per trip as compared to its normal capacity of 100 people.
“It is to safeguard the wellbeing of our riders.
“The funicular service will operate from 6.30am to 8pm daily (on an hourly schedule) from March 5 onwards. The last ticket sale time is at 6.45pm.
“We urge the visitors to adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) at all times. The visitors are required to wear their face masks correctly, observe physical distancing, sanitise their hands regularly and have their body temperature taken at our designated check points,” he said today.
Cheok said the Cliff Café (Astaka) would also be open from 8am to 6pm starting tomorrow (March 5).
“Visitors can now enjoy a scrumptious meal at the Astaka. However, diners must always adhere to the SOPs,” he said.
The cleaners were busy sanitising and cleaning the public area at the Penang Hill lower station this morning (March 4), in preparation to receive the visitors.
Proper markers were placed on the floor at the entrance and ticket counters, and they were also placed on the seats and floor at the waiting area.
Meanwhile, the cinema industry operators have also welcomed the Government’s decision to permit them to reopen under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
GSC public relations and branding manager Sharmine Ishak said the operator looked forward to welcoming back its customers and movie-goers.
“We are thrilled to be given the greenlight to finally reopen our cinemas after a prolonged period.
“We do hope that when the cases further decline, we will be able to open our cinemas to full capacity, which will help us on our road to recovery.
“Until then, we urge audiences to continue to adhere to the SOPs so we can all continue to enjoy the luxury and privilege of going to the cinemas together,” he said.
A check at GSC Gurney Plaza Penang saw the staff and workers cleaning and sanitising the cinemas.
Both GSC and TGV Cinemas (except TGV Miri and Vivacity) announced their reopening date on their respective Facebook pages. Their posts attracted thousands of likes and reactions from the fans.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Alissala Thian and courtesy of PHC