Table Mountain’s famous cable cars have been halted for routine maintenance and inspections which include tests on brakes and the long-serving track ropes.
To get to the summit mountain enthusiasts will need to rely on boots or ropes until August 28, rather than enjoy the relative luxury of the cableway service which has carried nearly 30-million visitors over the years.
Details of the five-week shutdown were shared at a briefing on Wednesday by Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company MD Wahida Parker. “The process this year is extensive and involves various complex tasks undertaken by teams consisting of internal technical staff and specialist technicians from the equipment manufacturers,” the company said in a statement.
“The work requires a complete shutdown as it is impossible to co-ordinate and execute this type of work while the service is operational.”
Parker said cable car operations were suspended at the end of July for annual safety maintenance: “The five-week-long shutdown allows for the maintenance of the cableway’s upper and lower stations and the cabins. Some construction work is also taking place.”
Table Mountain aerial cableway paused for extensive maintenance
Hiking boots required to reach summit until month-end
Senior reporter
Image: Supplied
Table Mountain’s famous cable cars have been halted for routine maintenance and inspections which include tests on brakes and the long-serving track ropes.
To get to the summit mountain enthusiasts will need to rely on boots or ropes until August 28, rather than enjoy the relative luxury of the cableway service which has carried nearly 30-million visitors over the years.
Details of the five-week shutdown were shared at a briefing on Wednesday by Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company MD Wahida Parker. “The process this year is extensive and involves various complex tasks undertaken by teams consisting of internal technical staff and specialist technicians from the equipment manufacturers,” the company said in a statement.
“The work requires a complete shutdown as it is impossible to co-ordinate and execute this type of work while the service is operational.”
Parker said cable car operations were suspended at the end of July for annual safety maintenance: “The five-week-long shutdown allows for the maintenance of the cableway’s upper and lower stations and the cabins. Some construction work is also taking place.”
Image: Supplied
She said industry safety standards required a more comprehensive and all-encompassing shutdown this year.
Some of the tasks performed on the two cabins:
Upcoming tasks include critical tests for the emergency brakes and on critical loadbearing components.
“The focus for this year is on the track ropes which carry the majority of the weight of the cable cars, along with the brackets from which the cabins are suspended,” said Emile Streicher, executive manager of technical.
“Servicing is done according to a service schedule which is time, usage and condition-based. Many of the specified service intervals are more than six years and servicing tasks usually differ from year to year.”
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