Exercise Caution: Kruger Reportedly "Full"
JOHANNESBURG- Hundreds of tourists and holidaymakers were turned away at two of the gates to the Kruger National Park on Sunday.
A visibly furious Pretoria resident, Martin de Waal, 46, said he and his family were turned away from the Crocodile Bridge gate on Sunday morning after waiting for one-and-a-half hours.
"We've been going to the game reserve every year for the past eight years. This is the first time that something like this has happened."
According to him between 50 and 70 vehicles were eventually banked up at the Crocodile gate near Komatipoort.
"Angry tourists from as far afield as Mozambique and overseas just had to turn back eventually," he said.
Apparently people were also turned back at the Paul Kruger gate.
Quotas (the number of people allowed in) vary between 300 people at the Crocodile gate and between 500 and 600 at the Kruger gate.
Raymond Travers, spokesperson for the Kruger National Park denied that the protracted Sanpark strike which began on July 4, was responsible for the admission problems at the two gates.
According to him it was not unusual for people to have to wait at times, or even to turn back if the quotas for the gates had been filled.
The game park is busy and it's the school holidays to boot, said Travers.
"Only a certain number of people can be admitted at each gate, to ensure that we can maintain full control within the park."
He said the quota was the same throughout the year at each gate regardless of whether the school holidays were on or not.
A visibly furious Pretoria resident, Martin de Waal, 46, said he and his family were turned away from the Crocodile Bridge gate on Sunday morning after waiting for one-and-a-half hours.
"We've been going to the game reserve every year for the past eight years. This is the first time that something like this has happened."
According to him between 50 and 70 vehicles were eventually banked up at the Crocodile gate near Komatipoort.
"Angry tourists from as far afield as Mozambique and overseas just had to turn back eventually," he said.
Apparently people were also turned back at the Paul Kruger gate.
Quotas (the number of people allowed in) vary between 300 people at the Crocodile gate and between 500 and 600 at the Kruger gate.
Raymond Travers, spokesperson for the Kruger National Park denied that the protracted Sanpark strike which began on July 4, was responsible for the admission problems at the two gates.
According to him it was not unusual for people to have to wait at times, or even to turn back if the quotas for the gates had been filled.
The game park is busy and it's the school holidays to boot, said Travers.
"Only a certain number of people can be admitted at each gate, to ensure that we can maintain full control within the park."
He said the quota was the same throughout the year at each gate regardless of whether the school holidays were on or not.
posted by Kruger2Canyons.com at
Monday, July 09, 2007
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