Maokong Gondola

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Corner Two station and National Highway No. 3
Corner Two station and National Highway No. 3

The Maokong Gondola (貓空纜車) is a gondola lift transportation system in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. Opened on July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola is operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) and is part of the Taipei Rapid Transit System. It runs between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. The total length of the line is 4,030 meters. The facilities of the gondola were contracted to the French company Poma.

Official name
Traditional Chinese: 貓空空中纜車
Literal meaning: Maokong Aerial Gondola
Common name
Traditional Chinese: 貓空纜車
Literal meaning: Maokong Gondola


Contents

[edit] Stations

The boarding area at Taipei Zoo station
The boarding area at Taipei Zoo station
The interior of a corner station
The interior of a corner station

The line has 4 stations:

  • Taipei Zoo (動物園站), outside Taipei Zoo
  • Corner One or Angle one
  • Taipei Zoo South (動物園內站), inside Taipei Zoo
  • Corner Two or Angle Two
  • Zhinan Temple (指南宮站)
  • Maokong (Sanxuan Temple) (貓空站)

Passengers cannot embark or disembark on corner ("angle") stations.

On leaving Zhinan Temple or Maokong Stations, regular and frequent mini-bus services can ferry visitors to destinations around the Maokong Area. Mini-bus services also can deliver passengers directly back to the Taipei Zoo MRT station.

[edit] Fares

The fares are based on the number of stations traveled:

  • 1 Station NT$30
  • 2 Stations NT$40
  • 3 Stations NT$50

Concessional fares are available to disability and seniors aged over 65.

  • 1 Station NT$15
  • 2 Stations NT$20
  • 3 Stations NT$50

Fares can be paid by either purchasing the tickets at the stations or using EasyCard or stored-value card. Each adult ticket can bring 2 children for free. Discounts are available for group travelling. Group of 10 or above will receive 20% off their ticket price while groups of 40 or above will receive 30% off.

Tourists can also purchase the Maokong Gondola version of the one-day TaipeiPass[1] for unlimited rides on Taipei buses and MRTs, and up to 3 gondola rides in one day. This special one-day TaipeiPass costs NT$250.

[edit] Service Hours

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  • Tuesday to Friday: 09:00 – 22:00
  • Weekends and National Holidays: 08:30 – 22:00
    • Final scheduled departure at Taipei Zoo: 21:30
    • Final scheduled departure at Maokong: 22:00
  • No service on Mondays for maintenance and repairs since July 30, 2007.
  • Operation suspended in the conditions of inclement weather, such as
    • Thunderstorms. Resume operation when thunderstorm has stopped for 30 mins.
    • Typhoon land warning issued in northern Taiwan.
    • 3-second sustained wind over 58 km/h and wind gusts over 65 km/h.
    • Earthquakes.

[edit] Controversies

View from the gondola; Taipei 101 can be seen in the distance
View from the gondola; Taipei 101 can be seen in the distance
Maokong cable cars in motion
Maokong cable cars in motion

[edit] Crowd Problems

The gondola is so popular that passengers have to line up for more than an hour at times to ride the gondola.

[edit] Ventilation problems

Ventilation in each passenger cabin has been criticized as being inadequate so that passengers should be forewarned that the cabin may become extremely hot and humid, especially in the midday sun.

[edit] Suspension of Maokong Gondola

On the first day of operation, a faulty door lock had left Mayor Hau Lung-pin and former Mayor Ma Ying-jeou suspended for 10 minutes. Later, bad weather had also caused operation to shut down a few times. Violent thunderstorms returned the next day and operation was suspended for a few hours.

At 4:50 p.m. on July 21, 2007, the service on the gondola system was suspended for approximately 2 hours due to a mechanical glitch, trapping 323 people on the cable cars. The evacuation took place from 5:50 p.m. through 6:55 p.m. TRTS personnel reimbursed passengers by giving them NT$1,058 and free tickets worth NT$100 each. The system resumed normal operations at noon the following day.[2]

On July 24, 2007, the service on the gondola system was suspended twice. Service was suspended at noon for around two hours due to a thunderstorm, and again at 3:10 p.m. due to mechanical problems. No passengers were trapped on the gondola cars.[3]

Consumers' Foundation, Chinese Taipei recommended that the Maokong Gondola should shut down completely, and only re-open after evaluating and repairing all systems.

Currently, the Maokong Gondola is closed to public every Monday for maintenance servicing, in accordance to a treaty with Taipei City Hall.

[edit] Environmental concerns

Local environmental protection groups such as Green Party Taiwan and Homemaker's Union have discouraged people from using the gondola lift. Local residents have complained about excessive noise during operation, increased garbage and the danger of mudslides.[4]

Tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Administration under the Executive Yuan and the TCG Department of Environmental Protection have shown that noise levels are within regulations. To mitigate environmental damage, construction pillars and excavation were minimized.[4]

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ Press Release (Chinese only) (2007-07-02). With Maokong Gondola in service, lots of smart card choices for you. Taipei Smart Card Corporation.
  2. ^ Yan-chih Mo (2007-07-22). Cable car failure traps hundreds. Taipei Times.
  3. ^ Yan-chih Mo (2007-07-25). Maokong Gondola shuts down after malfunction. Taipei Times.
  4. ^ a b Annie Huang (2007-07-13). Taipei gondola swings into action. Taiwan Journal.

[edit] Links