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Tue, Dec 30, 2008
The Straits Times
How safe are these rides?

The management of the Singapore Flyer said yesterday that it is working with tenants to draw visitors back to the attraction.

On the cards is a free concert on Wednesday at the waterfront Flyer Theatre organised by one of the tenants, Love The World, a bistro.

The management is supporting the gig as part of the drive to bring visitors back, said a spokesman.

The 165m-tall giant observation wheel was closed last Tuesday, after 173 people were trapped in its capsules for about six hours, following an electrical fire that cut off power to the wheel.

It is likely to remain closed until New Year's Day.

Meanwhile, business has plunged for the 25 tenants in the terminal. They include restaurants and retail shops.

The passengers were freed by rescuers from Dive-Marine Services, a private company hired by Singapore Flyer, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Eleven passengers were lowered to the ground by rope harnesses, while the rest got off when the Flyer resumed movement.

Besides the Flyer, there are at least seven other adrenalin-inducing activities in Singapore, ranging from the Reverse Bungee to amusement park rides which do 360 degree turns.

In the light of the Flyer incident, The Sunday Times checked out their safety procedures.

Stories by Nur Dianah Suhaimi, Shuli Sudderuddin, Zureena Habib

Tiger Sky Tower
A 110m-tall tower in Sentosa which offers views of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. -ST
Forest Adventure
A treetop adventure course in Bedok Reservoir Park, akin to an aerial runway 9m above ground. -ST
Zovb
This sport from New Zealand involves rolling down a hill while strapped inside a giant inflatable ball. -ST
Escape Theme Park
An outdoor amusement park offering 15 rides ranging from classic ferris wheel to rides which do 360-degree turns. -ST
G-Max Reverse Bungy
Up to three people are strapped into an open steel cage suspended between two bungee cords and catapulted 12 storeys high at speeds of up to 200kmh. -ST
Singapore Cable Car
Built in the 1970s, the cable car system provides a means of transport between Mount Faber, HarbourFront and Sentosa. -ST
Sentosa Luge & Skyride
It takes visitors to the top of a 12-storey high hilltop from where they ride gravity-driven luge carts down. -ST


This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Dec 28, 2008.


For more The Straits Times stories, click here.


 

 
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