THE proposed RM245 million Penang Hill cable car project will pose no threat to the environment but will instead come with eco-friendly initiatives, including the expansion of the neighbouring Botanical Gardens.
Penang Hill Corporation Sdn Bhd general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng told The Vibes the environment-friendly initiatives include the planting of more trees and landscaping in the Botanical Gardens, where the main station will be built.
“These efforts will also help transform Botanical Gardens into a world-class recreational destination to rival renowned parks such as Singapore's Botanic Gardens, London's Hyde Park, or New York's Central Park," he said.
“We are now closely collaborating with the administrators of Botanical Gardens and the state to ensure the stature of the gardens is also upgraded with the cable car project,” he said.
He said 18 sessions have been held to explain the project to the local residents and traders, including restaurant owners.
“We have successfully resolved any misgivings about the project," said Cheok.
Only one squatter, which is the Waterfall Cafe, is affected by the project. The owner has been compensated with a more spacious lot in the new food court, he said.
Thee project is expected to resolve up to 60% of traffic congestion in the Botanical Gardens area.
There will be ample parking lots and visitors are be encouraged to walk to get to the cable car as the Botanical Gardens strives to become a low carbon emission area.
The project is expected to cement Penang Hill reputation as a top tourism destination in the region.
The hill has received 1.7 million visitors per year since it was reopened in 2021 following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most importantly, the project would raise awareness about conservation, said Cheok.
He said the project entails no major felling of trees and minimal relocation of plants as the 14 cable car towers will be constructed with aerial technology.
"There will not be much drilling activity and we will ensure that there is no major erosion.
"The gardens would also be expanded by 400 metres while no vehicles, except for official ones, would be allowed into the area and the main cable car station," he said.
There will be a drop-off point, about 400 metres from the station, for visitors to visit both the hill and the gardens, while a multi-storey car park with a food court will be constructed with 700 parking bays that are acessible to stage buses and heavy vehicles.
The cable car will provide a third link to the hill aside from the funicular train system, which will continue to operate, and the four-wheel drive service on the hiking trails.
The Special Area Plan for the Penang Hill and Botanical Gardens is upheld to ensure that there is no abuse, said Cheok.
The Penang Forum, a coalition of civil society organisations, had questioned if the construction of the cable car would harm the ecology of Penang Hill and the Botanical Gardens.
Some said the project could be illegal as Penang has yet to ratify the local plan for the island.
“There will be more planting of trees to make the garden a nursery to help the state supplement its objective of having up to a million trees grown in facing global warming effects of climate change," said Cheok.
He said the next step would be to apply for the gardens to be listed as a World Heritage Site, like George Town.
In 2008, Unesco recognised George Town as a heritage site because of its colonial buildings, its largest assembly of pre-war shophouses in the region, and its outstanding universal values of unique culture, religious diversity, and craftsmanship.
The well-curated gardens can qualify for listing because of their diverse species of plants and flowers, said Cheok.
The cable car is expected to be ready ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2025. – May 27, 2024.
