Vellore: Handlooms Minister R Gandhi after flagging off the trial, along with Collector D Baskara Pandian, ascended to the hilltop temple in the new facility.

Later officials said that the eight gondolas (4 up and 4 down) would take 4 minutes to reach the hilltop. Each gondola has a capacity to carry 4 persons. A total of 400 devotees could use the facility every hour, they said and added that two committees, comprising members from Chennai IIT, Anna University’s structural engineering department, Tangedco, PWD (buildings) and HR & CE, would certify the worthiness of the rope car after a two-week trial run between 8.30 am and 6 pm daily.