PENANG HILL CABLE CAR PROJECT BRING BENEFITS TO COMMUNITY
The eco-friendly cable car system proposed for Penang Hill will provide convenience to people, alleviate congestion on the existing funicular railway, and enhance ecotourism at the Unesco Biosphere Reserve site.
Cable cars have been utilized in conservation areas such as the Barron Gorge National Park in Australia, which is also a Unesco site.
The Penang Hill cable car project was discussed at a stakeholder engagement session organized by the Sustainable Malaysia Association in August 2022. The resident and hiker representatives showed strong support for the project, as the cable car will serve as an alternative transport system to the existing funicular rail.
Currently, when the funicular train service is disrupted, residents and visitors are left stranded on the hill. The recent breakdown has trapped hundreds of visitors on the hill for up to 5 hours. Regular maintenance cannot prevent all contingencies.
When the funicular service is disrupted, residents and visitors will have to use jeeps, which can only accommodate 4 or 5 people at a time – not a viable option.
Therefore, an alternative transportation option that is environmentally friendly and can carry a larger number of passengers, like the cable car, is necessary.
Additionally, the cable car has the potential to generate additional income for residents and retailers by attracting more ecotourists to Penang Hill.
While a minority group has raised objections to the project, the Sustainable Malaysia Association supports the majority of Penang Hill’s residents, hikers, and workers in their approval of the proposed Penang Hill cable car project. As long as mitigation measures are in place, the project should not be an issue since cable car is also used at other Unesco sites.
By Nursyazana Binti Khidir Neoh, researcher at Sustainable Malaysia Association with bachelor’s degree of forestry science.