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Residents near cable car line complain about din

"Hau Lung-bin should come and live here himself to see if he can stand it [the noise]."

Kao Chia-tseng, president of the Residents' Association of Chi-Hsia Hill

Residents near the Maokong (貓空) cable car line in southern Taipei have expressed concern over environmental damage and noise pollution caused by the line during a few months of test runs.

The cable car system is a municipal project aimed at developing tourism and recreation opportunities in the Muzha (木柵) area. The line stretches from the Taipei City Zoo to Maokong, a popular destination for tea-tasting.

More than NT$1.3 billion (US$39.3 million) has been spent on the construction of the cable car system, which is scheduled to open in June.

However, people in residential areas along the route are concerned about environmental damage caused by the construction project, as well as noise pollution once the line is running. The dissatisfied residents have submitted a petition to a city councilor.

Kao Chia-tseng (高佳增), president of Residents' Association of Chi-Hsia Hill said that city officials had only touted the transportation and tourism benefits of the cable car system before its construction, but had not discussed the issue of noise pollution.

Chi-Hsia Hill is one of the communities along the route.

"[Taipei mayor] Hau Lung-bin should come and live here himself to see if he can stand it [the noise]." Kao said.

The sounds from cable car stations and the wheels of passing cable cars have become a nightmare for residents, Kao said.

"When the system officially begins to operate, there will be noise more than 12 hours a day," Kao said.

"It's unbelievable that there are no features to decrease noise in a cable car system that costs over NT$1.3 billion," Kao said.

Environmental damage during the construction was another concern.

Chen Teh-yao (陳德耀), an architect who has been living in the are for over 30 years, accused former Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of letting the construction project proceed without proper assessments.

Chen is also worried about mudslides, as part of the vegetation on the slopes has been destroyed during the construction.

"There are 53 households living directly under slopes with no vegetation. Can the city government guarantee our safety during the typhoon season?" Chen asked.

Democratic Progressive Party City Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元), who also lives in the area, said that mudslides had happened in the area before and warned that the city must take preventive measures.
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