Cable car to link Peninsula to Zone A draws surprise

A cable car in Chongqing linking the two banks of Yangtze river

One of the projects unveiled yesterday as part of the government’s 10-year plan for transport 2021-2030 was the proposal to build a cable car that, according to director of the Transport Bureau (DSAT) Kelvin Lam Hin San, would link the Peninsula in the surroundings of the Macao Science Center to Zone A of the new landfills.

According to Lam, the idea is to create a system that goes beyond a mass transportation system and can be used for both commuting and as a tourist attraction. He noted that the idea is inspired by the cable cars of the city of Chongqing which are mostly used to link the two banks of the river Yangtze.

Questioned on the matter by one of the lawmakers who expressed concern over the safety of the project, especially given wind gusts that often are felt in that area of Macau during monsoons and tropical storms, Lam said that this project does not replace the land link to the Zone A which was initially planned to be done as an underwater tunnel however, yesterday, the director of DSAT said that the government has not yet arrived at a final decision on the matter.

“This is not an essential connection, the idea is to use the cable car as a tourist attraction but this is not a replacement for the road link between those pieces of land,” Lam said.

More details on the 10-year transport plan will be known today when the public consultation on the plan will be officially launched.

As the government revealed yesterday, the public consultation will last for a period of 60 days, and all major developments in it are planned to be completed by 2030.