Good response a positive sign for Melaka monorail

MELAKA: The city council expects to recoup its investment in the tourist monorail based on the volume of passengers using the train since it resumed service on Dec 4.

Prior to this, it had been lying idle for more than four years.

In less than a week, it had attracted 2,050 passengers, exceeding the initial projections set by the Melaka Historic City Council, which operates the service.

Mayor Datuk Zainal Hussin said the council was confident of getting back its investment on the monorail if this positive response continues until the middle of next year.

Zainal said the monorail makes 24 trips a day and each ticket is priced at RM10 until the end of the year, when the cost may be reviewed.

Each ride takes about 30 minutes at a speed of 10kph, circling scenic Sungai Melaka.

“Currently, one locomotive is being utilised and a second train is expected to be operational by next year. The train can carry 24 passengers per trip. On Saturday, we recorded our highest total volume ever – 650 passengers,” he added.

The Melaka Monorail is the only tourist monorail in the country, connecting Taman Rempah to the Hang Tuah Station in Jalan Bunga Raya, a distance of 1.6km.

The RM15.9mil service started operations on Oct 20, 2010, but stalled about 100m from its main Hang Jebat station with 20 pioneer passengers.

A year later, 18 tourists from Hong Kong, along with their tour leader and guide, were also left stranded 300m from the same station.

This led to the Land Public Transport Commission suspending the service.

The China-made monorail line is part of the state’s plan to draw more tourists here.