Tourists and environmentalists clash

When the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) unveiled plans late last month for the construction of a series of cable car networks that are intended to whisk tourists to the top of several of the nation's highest peaks and traverse some of the country's most picturesque landscapes, it didn't expect its supposedly eco-friendly scheme to raise many eyebrows. But it did. Along with triggering heated debate in the Legislative Yuan, the idea has sparked the ire of environmental groups.

The basic aim of the project, which is part of the government's ongoing plan to double the number of tourists by 2008, is to make it easier for tourists to visit some of Taiwan's most scenic, yet difficult to access, areas.

According to an MOTC spokesperson, roads can be widened in certain places, but the construction of new roads destroys the environment and is not always possible, especially in the Central Mountain Range area. Cable cars are, according to the MOTC, the future for 10 of Taiwan's most picturesque and out-of-the-way tourist spots.

A report by local engineering company, ATCI (亞聯工程顧問公司), which was commissioned by the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), looked at the viability of cable car construction at Yushan (玉山), Hsueshan (雪山), Nanhushan (南湖山) and Hohuanshan (合歡山) and concluded that the project, if completed, would be one of the most ambitious undertaken anywhere in the world.

The overall combined distance the cable cars would traverse at these four locations alone would measure in the region of 21km. There would need to be a total of 114 pylons in order to support the cable and the heights of these poles would range from between 10m and 50m.

The estimated construction costs at these locations range from NT$102 million to NT$827 million, and operational revenues range from NT$23 million to NT$226 million a year.

This is money that, according to Liu Man-yi (劉曼儀) of the National Taiwan Normal University Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, would be better spent on education and preservation rather than blemishing natural areas with gargantuan towers and concrete viewing platforms.

"Why spend such large sums of money on something that will destroy, rather than protect the environment? Cable cars will allow more people to see the scenic views, but how many of them will come away with any knowledge of the environments they've seen?" she said. "Using the money to teach people about why these places are special and how to appreciate them is worth more than any fairground ride in the long run."

When contacted about the number-crunching feasibility report that went into great lengths to paint a positive picture of the operation, the installation and cost effectiveness of cable cars, a spokesperson for the engineering company declined to comment. According to the report, however, 65.9 percent of the households questioned were in favor of its construction while 24.2 percent were against.

"The report only skimmed the surface of the matter and didn't take into consideration the environments in which [cable cars] would be constructed," said Chang Hong-lin (張宏林), Secretary General of the Society of Wilderness (SOW, 荒野保護協會). "There was nothing about earthquakes, endangered species or about the effect of increased visitation on these areas."