Ngong Ping 360 management says its cable-car system's overall safety has been confirmed. It will re-open in early April, after all bullwheel bearings have been replaced and its annual servicing is completed.
Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Gregory So said today the Government is highly concerned about the safety of the cable-car service. The Electrical & Mechanical Services Department will closely monitor the repair works and will approve the service resumption only if the servicing and test results are satisfactory.
The Tourism Commission, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, Fire Services Department and Police will ensure the cable-car company reviews its contingency plans and communication with customers.
The company today provided preliminary findings from its investigation into a January 25 incident, in which a faulty bearing in a bullwheel caused a disruption to cable-car services.
A fleet check of similar bearings have confirmed the system's overall safety. It also confirmed the automatic monitoring system performed properly, triggering the system to bring cable-car operations to a safe stop when it detected the bearing fault.
The faulty bearing's inner ring was found to have irregular wear which would have affected the bearing's smooth rotation, causing slight vibrations which the monitoring system picked up.
Although bearings on the six other bullwheels in the system have not shown any irregularity, the company has decided to replace them all as a prudent measure.
This year’s annual servicing by an independent ropeway surveyor will be advanced from June to take place after all bullwheel bearings have been replaced.
During the temporary closure, guests who have booked advance tickets can change their itineraries and get help on other ticketing matters at temporary service points set up next to the Customer Service Centres at Lai King, Hong Kong and Kowloon Tong MTR stations. The service points will open from 10am to 6pm daily.
Ngong Ping Village remains open. Guests can access the village by bus or taxi. Click
here or call the hotline, 3666 0606, for more information.
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