Chamber proposes KK-Gaya Island cable car link

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Michael Lui

KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI), in responding to the call by the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), has submitted a wide range of suggestions to transform KK City into an outstanding tourism destination.

Its president, Datuk Michael Lui, said yesterday that with careful and proper planning, the KK City could become a world class clean and safe city.

He said a KKCCCI working committee headed by Chin Shu Yin had suggested to the City Hall to incorporate three major plans for implementation under the 11th Malaysia Plam.

Firstly, to attract famous and outstanding universities to open their branch campuses in Kota Kinabalu and this would lure foreign students and create employment opportunities for the local people; secondly, to connect Gaya Island and KK City by cable cars as well as to turn Gaya Island into a renowned environmental friendly and pollution-free tourism destination and, thirdly, to open up walk-through streets in KK, (trading hours till midnight) to make certain streets haven for tourists for food and refreshments, night-shopping and entertainment outlets, said Lui in a statement yesterday.

He added that the DBKK also need to upgrade safety and security services for the tourists, upgrade the seafront facilities, providing walkways and cycling tracks.

Apart from upgrading the uneven walkways in the shop fronts, the broken slabs and the steps must be repaired, making the city friendly to the handicapped people and tourists alike, preventing accidental fall while pulling their luggage.

Likewise, the shop front sun shade must be installed at safe level height, and more notices with details showing position, distances, maps must be erected at scenic spots, including activated GPS to show exact location.

Owing to the increasing arrival of tourists from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, Lui said the KKCCCI reckoned that Chinese language must also be included in the notices for the convenience of the tourists.

Immigration officers at the airport terminals ideally must be conversant in Chinese, and likewise personnel at the strategic points manning the enquiry counters must also be conversant in Chinese.

Owing to the shortage of hotels, he noted that inbound tour companies are unable to accept booking for large group of inbound tourists. In view of this, more three-star and better hotels must be built to cope with the demand. Hence, a one-stop center for investment and development of hotels must be envisaged.

Lui said DBKK should also consider introducing the go-city-bus services like the one implemented in Kuala Lumpur, providing free services to the local people as well as ferrying tourists to the scenic spots in the city such as the museum, Likas Mosque, shopping malls and others.

The KKCCCI also calls for the enhancement of safety and security measures so as to instill sense of safety for the tourists and minimize incidents such as robbery, snatch theft, kidnapping and drowning.

The KKCCCI also suggested the back alleys and corners be better illuminated with street lights, installation of CCTVs with regular maintenance, as well as stepping up police patrolling.

Other than notice boards on safety measures, the quality and professional etiquette of the tour companies, the leaders and tour guides, as well as the security personnel must be enhanced, to assure the tourists of their safety to avoid preventable accidents.

On the urban hygiene, Lui said the KKCCCI stressed on the need to have more public toilets and the need to maintain clean seafronts, especially the beaches. The stench and foul smell, as well as the birds’ droppings, and the roaming rodents in the alley ways. The foul smell emanating from the sea water is caused by the leftover food, and perishable garbage dumped into the drains and washed into the sea.

Hence, there is an urgent need for the enforcement units to resolve the problems, especially on installing the birds-repelling instruments such as used at the airport runways to repel the thousands of birds at the tree tops of Gaya Street.

The restaurants’ toilets and kitchen floors must be cleaned to avoid slippery, causing accidents to the tourists.