A view of George Town from Penang Hill
GEORGE TOWN, May 23: The proposed RM245 million Penang Hill Cable Car project will have three main stations as well as a multi-storey car park, a commercial plaza opposite the Botanic Gardens Department and a dedicated bus parking space.
The project spans 2.73 km from the Penang Botanic Gardens to the top of Penang Hill or Bukit Bendera.
The three stations along the route are a Garden Station at the base, a mid-route Turn Station and a Hill Station at the summit, Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) said today.
The Penang Hill Cable Car project will be fully financed and developed by a private concessionaire, with no cost to the state government, it added.
PHC said the project was awarded to local rail firm Hartasuma Sdn Bhd under a 30-year public-private partnership (PPP) using a design-finance-build-operate-transfer (DFBOT) model. Ownership will revert to the state once the concession ends.
The PPP approach was chosen to ease the financial burden on the state, with Hartasuma responsible for funding and operating the system.
Austrian ropeway specialist Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH has been tapped to supply the cable car technology.
PHC’s statement comes amid local media reports citing concerns over the project’s rising costs and current progress, with construction currently at just seven per cent completion.
PHC said the budget was based on estimates from a 2021 request-for-proposal (RFP), during a period marked by COVID-19-related economic uncertainty, inflation, as well as higher labour and material costs. The project design was also adjusted to strengthen long-term viability.
Despite the challenges, PHC said Hartasuma remains committed to delivering an international-standard cable car system.
PHC said careful planning was underway to ensure the infrastructure integrates sustainably with the natural environment.
Once completed, the cable car is also expected to ease congestion on Penang Hill during peak seasons and reduce chronic traffic jams around the Botanic Gardens area.
— BERNAMA