Ngong Ping 360 says it's safe after report of 'rust' on cabins
Marks on cabins pose no risk, says operator of Ngong Ping 360, as it seeks to allay public fears
Rust-like stains on the Ngong Ping 360 gondola lift's cabins are just dirt and will not endanger passengers' safety, its operator said yesterday.
Ngong Ping 360 spoke out after the published a report about "rust" on the cabins and raised public safety concerns.
But Weller Chan Kwok-wai, head of cable car operations, said the stains were caused by lubricant dropping from cables onto the cabins and the system's suspension frames.
Lubricant is applied twice a year to ensure the wheels that keep the cars moving run smoothly.
"As wheels run on [the cable] some of the lubricant wears off, especially in the rainy season," Chan said. "The lubricant, mixed with dirt from the air, looks rusty in colour."
The stains are removed with detergent about once a month.
"There are solar power panels and other components on the top of the cabin," Chan said. "Technicians, not normal cleaners, are responsible for their cleaning," he said.
"They can clean 24 cars a week … so it takes about a month to clean more than a hundred of them."
He said it was impossible for major components of the cabins to rust as they were made of aluminium alloy and anti-rust coating was applied to the system's suspension frames.
Technicians look for signs of rust on the cabins during their weekly checks and also apply anti-rust treatments regularly. Non-destructive tests - which evaluate the properties of metals and ensure their safety - are carried out once a year.
Meanwhile, Ngong Ping 360 managing director Wilson Shao Shing-ming said there had been "less than 10 per cent" growth in the number of visitors to the attraction during the first quarter this year.
The number of mainland passengers had risen more than 30 per cent year on year, he said, and the numbers from France, India, Indonesia and Thailand grew in double-digit percentages as local patronage fell.
Shao said it would be a challenge for the company to make a profit in the next 10 years.
