KNP Gate Quotas

[Flutterby]

Media Release: KNP gate quotas in force during the Easter weekend

Date: 15th April 2014

Day Visitors to the Kruger National Park are requested to take note of gate quotas when planning their visit, as these will strictly be enforced during this coming Easter Weekend which starts on Thursday, 17 to Monday, 21 April 2014.

Visitors are advised to either arrive at the gate very early in the morning because the service is on first-come-first-served basis or pre-book their entrance with central reservations office on telephone number 012 428 9111, in order to ensure that they gain access to the park in terms of their own plan and are not sent back at the gate.

“We are calling on everyone who is planning to come to the park as a day visitor to please make the necessary arrangement beforehand in order to avoid unnecessary disappointment”, said the General Manager: Communication & Marketing in the Kruger National Park, William Mabasa.

Those who pre-book their visit will be expected to pay a non-refundable deposit of R32 per adult and R16 per child entering the park, which is meant to secure their space because they would have been counted in the number that makes the daily quota. Day visitors with advanced bookings are also expected to arrive at the booked gate by not later than 13:00 on the date of the booking, after which the booking lapses. A pre-booking however does not exempt the day visitor from paying the normal conservation fees upon arrival at the gate but secures him/her entry.

All visitors are also reminded to bring along their identity documents (IDs) or some alternative form of identity to avoid problems at the gates. Wild Cards cannot be used to identify one as legitimate holder and should be accompanied by some form of identity document.

Mabasa also reminds visitors not to bring liquor with them as the alcohol ban on public areas in the Park is a permanent rule enforced during both quiet and busy periods. Law enforcement officials will be on the look-out for rule breakers. Visitors can also report any incident of rules and regulations infringement to the Emergency Call Centre at 013 735 4325. Various honorary rangers will be deployed in order to assist gate staff with managing the queues and other different services available at the gates.

Day Visitors, who may not be able to gain entry because the quota has been reached, can if they wish, make use of the park and ride a facility which is available at some gates. The park and ride will cost visitors extra money but will be better than having to be turned back at the entrance gate.

“We also request visitors to plan their trip by observing gate opening and closing times so that they do not find themselves either speeding or arriving late at the camps/gates on their way in/out of the park;” concluded Mabasa. People must please read their permits received at the gates because all the rules and regulations of the park are clearly stipulated in those documents.

KNP has ten entrance gates i.e. Pafuri, Punda Maria, Phalaborwa, Giriyondo, Orpen, Paul Kruger, Phabeni, Numbi, Malelane and Crocodile Bridge.

Issued by:
South African National Parks (SANParks) Kruger National Park Communications Tel: 013 735 4116

Enquiries:
William Mabasa
GM: Communications and Marketing, Kruger National Park
Tel: 013 735 4363; Cell: 082 807 3919
Email: william.mabasa@sanparks.org

[Sprocky]

Day Visitors, who may not be able to gain entry because the quota has been reached, can if they wish, make use of the park and ride a facility which is available at some gates. The park and ride will cost visitors extra money but will be better than having to be turned back at the entrance gate.

What a load of garbage!!!

How can they allow people to enter, even take them in, once the quota has been reached?? The quota is per number of people in the park, so the quota is reached and SANParks will now break their own rule by taking these people in.

[Flutterby]

Unless they have lowered their quota in the hope of getting people into the Park and Ride scheme.

[Kesheshe]

all I can say is glad I am going north it will be hectic in the south.

[nan]

right... we must avoid South... and the North is so marvelous

[Richprins]

Mabasa also reminds visitors not to bring liquor with them as the alcohol ban on public areas in the Park is a permanent rule enforced during both quiet and busy periods.

This is a bit ambiguous...as "public areas" actually means picnic spots?

Great that ID's are required, hope that counts for EVERYONE entering, especially as there is a rhino war going on, and Kruger Gate normally has a lot of late entries to Skukuza, for example....

This is also very relevant here:


viewtopic.php?f=78&t=3884&p=175323&hili ... as#p175323


Quotas change...


Also, agree with Sprocks. The Park and Ride defeats the object of quotas, and will not help late daytrippers. It is too expensive. Just the thin end of the wedge for now.

[Sprocky]

SANParks stated that the gate quotas were calculated according to seating at eating places, picnic areas and ablution facilities in the nearby area. Now they will allow additional public in, if they make use of the park and ride. Does this mean that these extra visitors will not make use of the above mentioned amenities?

[Bushcraft]

It will be the normal chaos during this period and once again it’s all about squeezing as many in as possible to make money Stuff the animals and the overnight visitors who will also have their trips ruined by the crowd

[Flutterby]

A quote from former head of SANParks (1978), Dr U. de V. Pienaar:

"We will most certainly not, under any circumstances, allow our greatest natural asset to be swamped by masses of people...."

And from James Stevenson-Hamilton on his retirement in 1946:

"Might her success, and the gifts increasingly showered upon her, not at last permanently affect her character, and transform her into a dame so bedecked by human art that her natural loveliness would be hidden, and her simple nature spoiled? Might those holding her future in her hands, realise the true nature of their Trust, and not, by estimating her worth at artifical values only, cause her to languish, and ultimately perhaps to perish?"

[Flutterby]

Read on FB that someone phoned Kruger to pre-book entry as a day visitor and they were told that the gate quotas have already been reached.