A HOMEGROWN local rail industry pioneer, Hartasuma Sdn Bhd, has succeeded in its bid for the Penang Hill cable car project.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who is also the Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) chairman, said the Evaluation Committee, comprised various government agencies, assessed the Request For Proposal (RFP) proposals in accordance with the requirements stipulated in the RFP documents.
“Hartasuma Sdn Bhd was recommended by the Evaluation Committee and was approved by the Penang government tender board.
“The estimated investment by the successful bidder is RM245 million and the project is based on a 30-year concession period, following the open bidding,” he told a media conference in Komtar today.
The call for the RFP to obtain the best proposal for the Penang Hill cable car project started on Jan 13 last year (2021) and was extended three times to Nov 30, 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restriction caused by the movement control orders. Six proposals were received during the RFP submission period.
The validity period for the RFP was also extended twice to Nov 30, 2022, for a thorough evaluation process and bidder selection approval process.
Chow said the project was awarded through public-private partnership on design, finance, build, operate and transfer, or a sub-set of a joint venture partnership basis.
“This project is a ‘Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (BFOT)’ project where all construction and operation costs are borne by the successful bidder.
“The successful bidder, Hartasuma Sdn Bhd, is a homegrown pioneer in the local rail industry and has almost 30 years of experience in the entire range of project delivery – from project management, international supply chain and logistics management, testing and commissioning protocols and project financing.
“The company has successfully delivered more than 400 rail cars to the nation’s public transportation needs; which include new LRT trains to Prasarana for Kuala Lumpur’s Kelana Jaya line. The company brings with them a management team who has operational experience in the MRT Line 1 and the highly successful Langkawi Cable Car,” Chow said.
He added that the company was awarded the Penang Hill cable car project based on its financial capacity, proposed cable car system provider, technical and operational capabilities, environmental protection measures and proposal at the time of bidding.
He also said that the most feasible route alignment site for the Penang Hill cable car project would be near the Penang Botanic Gardens.
“The Evaluation Committee has taken into consideration the alignment and suitability of the location.
“The project is expected to take three years to complete and be operational,” he said.
Chow said with the Penang Hill cable car, the state would gain another iconic tourist attraction in addition to the existing funicular which has been serving Penang Hill residents and visitors for about 100 years.
“We hope that the project can help to redistribute traffic, especially during the peak seasons, as well as complement the existing funicular service in the Air Itam area.
“We hope this greener mode of transportation will further enhance the tourism experience and contribute to the socio-economic of the surrounding areas. The project is expected to offer 500 job opportunities.
“We look forward to seeing further growth in the tourism sector once the cable car is operational,” he said.
Commenting on the annual visitor population at Penang Hill, Chow said the hill received between 1.3 million and 1.8 million visitors per year.
“We hope that the proposed cable car facility will play a practical role in tourist load balancing. PHC is looking forward to implementing environmentally friendly transportation options for visitors to the cable car station to reduce carbon emissions in the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve area.
“Besides, the cable car can provide a safe and joyful ride that will elevate visitors’ appreciation towards nature as they admire the lush greeneries and aerial view of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve,” he said.
PHC general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said the proposed cable car line starts at the lower station at the Penang Botanic Gardens area, and the upper station at Penang Hill.
“However, the final alignment will be determined once the study is completed,” he said.
Cheok said the number of tourists to Penang Hill is not expected to increase dramatically with the cable car project.
“According to Penang Hill Special Area Plan (SAP) 2016, the maximum carrying capacity at any one time is around 4,800 people on the hill.
“Based on our ridership data analysis, the average number of visitors on Penang Hill at any one time does not exceed 1,500 during peak seasons, which is way below the carrying capacity stated in the SAP,” he said.
It is learnt that the Penang Hill cable car line is approximately 2.9km-long. The proposed number of carriages is 43.
The carriages are expected to be able to transport some 1,000 passengers per hour, at a speed of 6m per second. The cable car ride is expected to take about 10 minutes.
Present at the media conference were Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy, state executive council members Zairil Khir Johari, Phee Boon Poh, Chong Eng and Yeoh Soon Hin.
Also present were Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid, Penang Island City Council mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang, PHC board member Wong Hon Wai, and Hartasuma Sdn Bhd Group executive director Tan Sri Ravindran Menon.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Siew Chia En
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis