A feasibility study is being conducted for a cable car line linking Penang’s Botanic Gardens to Gurney Bay, chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.
Chow did not give specific details or an implementation schedule, but said the proposed 2.5km route made sense due to Gurney Bay’s rising popularity, adding that it could help spread visitor flow.
He also said the Gurney Bay line would serve as a second route to Penang Hill, especially during peak times and service outages.
“It supports our vision for sustainable tourism and better planning,” he said before witnessing the signing of a financing partnership between Hartasuma Ropeways Sdn Bhd and Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad (BPMB) for the Penang Hill cable car project.
The Botanic Gardens-Gurney Bay link, if approved, would complement the Penang Hill cable car project that has secured RM367.2 million and is expected to be completed by early 2027.
The 2.73km main line for the Penang Hill cable car project will run from the Botanic Gardens to the hill’s summit, climbing 700m above sea level in under 10 minutes. It will feature 50 eight-seat gondolas, moving up to 1,400 passengers per hour each way.
The line is being built by Hartasuma Ropeways in partnership with Austrian firm Doppelmayr.
It will serve as a gateway to the Unesco-listed Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, create 400 jobs, and offer disabled-friendly access, according to the planners.
Hartasuma’s executive director, Ravindran Menon, said the project cost rose from RM245 million to RM367.2 million due to post-pandemic price hikes and added facilities, including a car park, food outlets and sports areas.
“It won’t just be a cable car. It will have shops, cafes, and even yoga space or pickleball courts,” he said.
Penang Hill Corporation general manager Cheok Lay Leng said the gondolas would help manage visitor flow, keeping within the hill’s maximum capacity of 6,463 people at a time.
