GEORGE TOWN: There is no necessity for a cable car project for Penang Hill, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) said.
Its Penang branch advisor D. Kanda Kumar said MNS, had from the very beginning when the cable car was mooted, was of the view that a cable car for Penang Hill was unnecessary.
He, however, said an upgrade of the then hill railway was necessary.
"Until today, MNS's stand still remains the same.
"Considering that in the 1990s the environment was of concern, 20 years later, the concern is far more greater with the damaging effects of global warming and climate change," he told the New Straits Times.
Yesterday, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who is also Penang Hill Corporation chairman, had announced that Hartasuma Sdn Bhd, a homegrown pioneer in the local rail industry, had successfully won the bid for the cable car project.
Hartasuma was chosen from among six companies which submitted the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Penang Hill cable car project.
The estimated investment by Hartasuma was expected to be approximately RM245 million and the project was based on a 30-year concession period.
The project was expected to take three years to fully complete and be operational.
The alignment and the suitability of the location of the cable car project was taken into consideration by the Evaluation Committee, with most feasible route alignment site near the Penang Botanic Gardens.
Kanda Kumar said MNS, through membership in Penang Forum, had objected to the Penang Hill cable car project in the comments for Penang Hill Local Area Plan (LAP).
"We will hold discussions with other members of Penang Forum further in this matter," he added.
According to Kanda Kumar, using the cable car to increase the visitor traffic can be achieved through a well-planned upgrade of the hill railway, which will achieve the same results.
He, however, noted that without any details of the alignment or how the construction of the cable car system would take place, it was difficult to comment.
"But one thing is for sure, during construction of the towers or pylons, there will be environmental damage, in terms of access to the pylon sites. The area around the pylon site will have to be cleared or even levelled. We do not know how many pylon sites have been proposed.
"We must have a report on the environmental impacts of this project and the people of Penang must be allowed to comment on the environmental of this project," he said.
Kanda Kumar said one of the reasons for the cable car, MNS was told, was that it would act as an alternative in the event of failure of the current hill railway system.
"But the alternative is to devise a way of utilising the many 4WD that the current residents have to ferry visitors down the hill and also form a support group in the area to help ferry visitors.
"This can be done using a legal framework involving the transport authorities, the residents and others with proper standard operating procedures (SOP).
"They will have to compensate owners who provide the 4WD. Since the hill railway break down once or twice a year, the cost of paying compensation will be far lower that the cost of financing a cable car project and the maintenance of the cable car system," he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Kanda Kumar said it has been brought to MNS' notice that it may be illegal to construct a cable car station in the Penang Botanic Gardens.
"I am not sure if the Penang Hill LAP has a provision for a cable car station. I do not remember any mention of the station in the LAP.
"Furthermore, Penang needs to think about quality tourism instead of mass tourism.
"Penang is small compared to other destination that have mass tourism, but Penang has great potential for quality tourism with its natural heritage that is in short supply in many parts of the world," he said.