Penang Chief Minister YAB Chow Kon Yeow and Tan Sri Ravindran signing the concession agreement
By V. Sivaji
A RM245 million cable car project at the iconic Penang Hill was sealed by the Penang state government yesterday in Komtar.
Penang Chief Minister YAB Chow Kon Yeow made the announcement and signed the concession agreement with Hartasuma Sdn Bhd.
Representing Hartasuma was their chief executive director, Tan Sri Ravindran Menon and his team.
Also present was Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Yeoh Soon Hin, State Exco for Infrastructure and Transport YB Zairil Khir Johari and Penang Hill Corporation general manager, Dato Cheok Lay Leng among others.
“I am pleased to announce the development of the Bukit Bendera Cable car service under design, finance, build, operate and transfer mode between Penang Hill Corporation and Hartasuma Sdn Bhd.
“Today marks an important milestone for Penang as we move towards making the Penang Hill cable car project a reality.
“The project was successfully awarded to Hartsuma through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) on design, finance, build, operate and transfer basis,” said Chow who is also the chairman of Penang Hill Corporation.
The project by Hartasuma also encompasses beautification of the surrounding areas of Penang Botanic Gardens.
To ease traffic congestion, a multi-storey parking complex will not only cater for visitors to the cable car but also for the Botanic Gardens.
“There will also be a public transportations station for tour buses and e-hailing services. The Penang Hill cable car will also complement the existing funicular railway,” added Chow.
He also added that the cable car will run on electric power and emit very low noise pollution while the construction of the cable car requires minimal cutting of trees so this will not bring detrimental effects to the environment.
The buildings on the site will also employ sustainable design principles such as permeable surfaces, rainwater harvesting systems, installation of solar panels on the rooftop and electric vehicle charging stations.
Meanwhile, Chow also announced that the cable car system will be provided by Doppelmayr, the global market leader in ropeway engineering.
“Doppelmayr Group has built more than 86 cable car installations in UNESCO Heritage, Geopark and Biosphere sites as well as National Parks of various countries around the world.
Hartasuma Sdn Bhd is a homegrown pioneer in the local rail industry and has almost 30 years of experience in the entire range of project delivery from project management, international supply chain, logistics management, testing and commissioning protocols and project financing.