PENANG Hill Corporation (PHC) is ramping up its efforts to complete the initial stage of hoarding works at affected sites of the Penang Hill Cable Car project to keep the public updated on the highly anticipated project.
A total of four sites are involved in the installation of hoardings, namely the Garden Station, Hill Station, Turn Station and the car park building.
PHC general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng, in an exclusive interview with Buletin Mutiara today, said that hoardings have been installed at the Garden Station and Hill Station, while works are ongoing at the Turn Station.
Cheok noted that although the hoardings at the Garden Station are technically complete, PHC is working on adding graphic displays that will showcase the project’s progress and final appearance once completed.
A delay is expected at the car park building site due to ongoing efforts to finalise a temporary location for the hawkers located opposite the Penang Botanic Gardens Department.
The current hawker centre is where the multi-storey car park for the project has been proposed to be built.
“Hoardings at the back of the hawker centre, off the river, have been completed.
“We can’t do the front part yet until the hawkers have been relocated to a temporary site within the vicinity.
“By Sept 30, we hope to fully get the hawkers moved to the new site, allowing them to resume their operations on Oct 1.
“The multi-storey car park is expected to include a complex, which will enable visitors to have some leisure time and food from the hawkers,” Cheok said.
Once the construction of the multi-storey car park is complete, the hawkers will be able to return to the same site.
Cheok further elaborated that major works, such as the installation of pylons, cable car equipment, and a walkway from the multi-storey car park to the Garden Station, have been scheduled. PHC plans to keep the public informed through regular updates on its social media platforms.
“We also aim to communicate effectively with the public, particularly the stakeholders, including residents living in the Botanic Gardens vicinity and Penang Hill residents using the track next to the garden.
“A lot of things are expected to happen, and we want to make sure the people are aware of it, such as alternative or potential road diversions, construction methods, and many others.”
He emphasised that careful consideration is given to the presence of several temples, a school and the Penang Municipal Park which attracts a significant number of visitors daily.
PHC plans to limit the transportation of construction materials at any one time in this area,” Cheok added.
The state government, through PHC, is the project owner for the Penang Hill Cable Car project. Hartasuma, a pioneer in the Malaysian rail industry, has been awarded a 30-year concession for the Penang Hill Cable Car through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) on a design, finance, build, operate, and transfer (DFBOT) basis.
The company has appointed Austria-based ropeway market leader, Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbHfor, to supply the cable car system.
Doppelmayr boasts an unrivalled track record with over 15,400 ropeway installations worldwide, including 86 cable car installations located in Unesco heritage, geopark, and biosphere sites, as well as various national parks around the world.
Hartasuma is expected to invest RM245 million in the project, which saw its groundbreaking ceremony officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on June 29, alongside CM Chow and Hartasuma’s executive director Tan Sri Ravindran Menon.
Cheok highlighted that visitor turnout at Penang Hill during both weekdays and weekends has been balanced. From July to August, the hill received an average of 4,000 visitors daily on weekdays, rising to nearly 7,000 daily on weekends.
“The trend lately indicates that visitors are better prepared when they make a trip to the hill.
“We can see that people holidaying longer in Penang, have opted to come here during weekdays instead.
“This is healthy in many ways, including keeping our system running without many issues,” he added.
PHC has also enhanced its maintenance efforts on the funicular service, aiming to prevent any breakdowns. Maintenance works are conducted daily, weekly and monthly, with Swiss engineers visiting twice a year to service the funicular coaches.
“The coaches require both technical and mechanical attention,” Cheok explained.
“It is crucial to maintain the warranty by involving the original engineers.
“If we were to engage a third party for maintenance could void the warranty, leading to bigger issues if the funicular fails to operate,” Cheok said.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix courtesy of Penang Hill Corporation