Bounced out
BUNGY Extreme is all bounced out. The Taranaki Street ride is in its final days of operation and word on the street is that the last day of business is just around the corner. The bungy has been catapulting adrenalin junkies into the air since its opening in 1999 but has come under fire for its safety history.
Up to three people are strapped into an open capsule which is connected to two bungy cords winched to two 40 metre high towers. The capsule is then catapulted 55 metres into the air at speeds of up to 160km per hour in less than two seconds.
In 2009 the Department of Labour launched a safety investigation after one of the ride’s elastic cords snapped just before it was due to launch. Similarly, three people were stuck in the bungy capsule in March last year after the mechanics failed.
There are annual bungy incidents all over the world, says Bryan Sainsbury-Hore, who has worked at the vertical bungy for almost two years, but he doesn’t believe this one is dangerous.
“I was not aware of any incidents. We are fully trained if anything goes wrong,” he says.
The bungy was closed in August 2010 after its amusement ride operating licence from Wellington City Council expired, and did not open again until December.
Any application for a new licence, which must be renewed annually, looks likely to be rejected and in that light, the directors have decided to close down the ride in the face of increasingly stringent safety conditions from the Department of Labour.
Co-director Bridgette Griffin says the company worked hard to meet those conditions, but it was simply too hard to operate the business in New Zealand, “It’s been a very stressful year wondering what they’ll come up [with] next.”
The bungy is to be taken down and will be set up to operate overseas
Up to three people are strapped into an open capsule which is connected to two bungy cords winched to two 40 metre high towers. The capsule is then catapulted 55 metres into the air at speeds of up to 160km per hour in less than two seconds.
In 2009 the Department of Labour launched a safety investigation after one of the ride’s elastic cords snapped just before it was due to launch. Similarly, three people were stuck in the bungy capsule in March last year after the mechanics failed.
There are annual bungy incidents all over the world, says Bryan Sainsbury-Hore, who has worked at the vertical bungy for almost two years, but he doesn’t believe this one is dangerous.
“I was not aware of any incidents. We are fully trained if anything goes wrong,” he says.
The bungy was closed in August 2010 after its amusement ride operating licence from Wellington City Council expired, and did not open again until December.
Any application for a new licence, which must be renewed annually, looks likely to be rejected and in that light, the directors have decided to close down the ride in the face of increasingly stringent safety conditions from the Department of Labour.
Co-director Bridgette Griffin says the company worked hard to meet those conditions, but it was simply too hard to operate the business in New Zealand, “It’s been a very stressful year wondering what they’ll come up [with] next.”
The bungy is to be taken down and will be set up to operate overseas
Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.