A cable-car on Lantau Island linking the airport, the Big Buddha and Tung Chung could be running by 2005, the Tourism Commission said yesterday as the project moved a step closer.
The 4km line, expected to cost up to $1 billion and initially carry as many as 25,000 people a day, would give visitors a bird's-eye view of the island for about $50.
Gondolas carrying between 10 and 20 people would take about 25 minutes to complete the distance, according to a detailed plan compiled by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC).
The Government yesterday invited alternative proposals for the link, saying it would use the best suggestions from each submission to come up with a final plan, then put the project out to tender.
Stung by controversy over awarding the Cyber-Port contract without an open tender, officials are keen to avoid giving the impression that the MTRC is the only company in the running.
Tourism Commissioner Mike Rowse said the cable-car would encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more.