A few highlights from around the world of Urban Gondolas, Gondola Transit, and Cable Propelled Transit:
- Safety’s always a big issue when discussing the concept of using cable cars and gondolas as mass public transit because most people incorrectly assuming the technology to be terrifyingly dangerous. As such, it was more than refreshing to see a recent article in the Wall Street Journal explicitly discuss the safety of the technology. Among other observations, the article observes that “skiers are more likely to be injured or killed while driving to the slopes or skiing down the mountain than riding the lifts.” Thanks, Wall Street Journal!
- Notwithstanding the above, the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car in Hong Kong left up to 400 passengers stranded in their vehicles for roughly 13 minutes. While by no means a cataclysmic event, this is the third such event in the past three weeks for a system that has a long history of malfunctions, human errors and accidents (here and here, for example). Until authorities and officials finally get to the bottom of what’s happening with the Ngong Ping 360, it might be best to skip that sight if you’re ever in Hong Kong.
- Plans to resurrect the long-dismantled cable car in Dunedin, New Zealand begin to take shape with the Dunedin Cable Car Trust discussing their plans with City Council and announcing their intentions to start a fundraising drive next year.
- Environmentalists are upset by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation intention to build a gondola in Phu Kradung National Park. Environmentalists insist this project will increase usage of the Phu Kradung and therefore cause more damage to the park. Government officials insist, however, that while the gondola will increase usage, it will decrease overnight stays. As is always the case in such a situation, the logic presented by both sides appears to be a bit fuzzy and more than a little self-serving.
- The Langkawi Cable Car transports its five millionth rider. This modest tourist-oriented MDG system in Malaysia is expected to carry over three-quarters of a million riders in 2011.