The Maokong Gondola was shut down on Tuesday, once as programed due to a thunderstorm and once due to a system problem after receiving its first regularly scheduled maintenance the previous day.

The system shut down as designed to at 12:50 p.m. because of lighting strikes and thunderstorms before resuming operation around 3 p.m.

The skyrail shut down again later the same day due to a system problem. The Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. evacuated passengers to ensure their safety before proceeding with an inspection and repairs. System operations resumed at 4:30 p.m.

Since its inauguration July 4, the Maokong Gondola has experienced several shutdowns, the most serious of which was caused by a breakdown that left 323 passengers stranded in mid-air in 57 cabins without air conditioning for more than an hour at a time when the outdoor temperature hit 38.5 C.

Operators spent two hours helping stranded passengers exit cable cabins. No passengers were injured in the incident.

In order to ensure a smoother operations, the Taipei city government announced July 25 that regular maintenance would be carried out every Monday, when the gondola system will be closed to the public.