| Alternative proposal is slower but safer |
| Wednesday, 29 July 2009 17:22 |
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By Choong Sim Poey. THE Penang Heritage Trust would like to respond to the letter "Hill railway upgrade keeps heritage value" (theSun, July 27) from the secretary general of the Tourism Ministry on the reasons for its adoption of the more expensive single stage system. As this is a massive project using public funds, we feel an obligation to make our views public on behalf of the NGOs In a long letter none of the issues we raised were addressed satisfactorily or meaningfully. To suggest that the system that Ric Francis proposed will be a clone, is inferior and will not last as long as the JKR system is either to deliberately misunderstand the proposal or to distort it. We wish to re-state firmly that the alternative proposal we put forward with Francis will last as long, as safe (if not safer, because the speed is slower), as reliable and has the same capacity.In addition no convincing reasons were given for rejecting a proposal that is much cheaper, faster to implement, less disruptive to the local people and preserves the entire heritage value of the system and not just the viaducts and tunnel. The only merit of the JKR system is that it is more expensive, it seems to us. Taking tourists straight to the top at 10 times the present speed in an air-conditioned coach is to deprive them of the pleasure of the leisurely trip that enables them to experience and savour the delightfully charming journey. The change in the middle station is not a negative point and no tourist has complained. It is part of the heritage characteristic. In suggesting that the system Francis proposed will result in a clone is to misunderstand how complex engineering systems are put together. All engineering systems, even the family car or the lap-top, are assembled from components sourced from different manufacturers, but that does not make them clones. No manufacturer makes every component he uses. Similarly the new funicular will be assembled from components made by different suppliers. If Francis’s proposal will result in a clone, so will the JKR system. At least 80% of the present mechanical equipment is still in good working condition and will last another 80 years or more. This is 30 years longer than the JKR system which the secretary general has stated will last 50 years. All that is required in the Francis proposal is to change the motors and the gears. There is no excuse or reason for replacing them Nowhere in his letter did Ong show that he is sympathetic to the travails that the residents and hawkers will go thorough during the 10-month shut-down. About 50 people are totally dependent on the railway to reach the city and Ong has their names. How will the children go to school? How will the older folk go to the city in an emergency? By ordinary standards the earthworks is small, but please remember that the site is 1,200ft up a steep slope in an area that is known for its heavy rainfall. By any standard it will be a challenging site. Also is Ong aware of the point Francis made in a letter which appeared below his: to join the two tracks one of them will have to be raised by 5ft and shifted to one side by 15ft. All things considered we doubt if the job can be done in 10 months. Before making a final decision we sincerely suggest the tourism minister and Ong visit the site to talk to the people who will be most affected and to see the actual conditions. ** Republished with permission. The opinion first appeared in July 29, 2009 issue of theSun. Dr Choong is President of Penang Heritage Trust. Related articles
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