South Africa: Kruger National Park bans liquor in its public areas

Day visitors to the Kruger National Park will no longer be allowed to bring or consume alcohol in public areas such as parking lots, picnic sites, wildlife viewing areas or roads, gates and all other areas designated as public as from Friday 18 March 2011.

The restrictions will not apply to overnight visitors who will be allowed to bring in own alcohol for consumption in the privacy of their booked accommodation and the restaurants. Like day visitors, overnight visitors will be bound by the same rules of not drinking in public.
“Over the past festive season, we had an increase in poor behaviour ranging from speeding, road kills, littering, playing of loud music, disturbance of wildlife at animal sightings, nude swimming in the pools, day visitors using designated areas for overnight guests only without permission from occupants and excessive public consumption of alcohol.” “We decided to introduce this policy in order to eliminate the growing unacceptable behaviour by visitors who misbehave in the park when they are intoxicated. This is actually nothing new but just ensuring that the provision the country’s Liquor Act are also enforced in the park”; says the KNP HOD: Public Relations, William Mabasa.
Management will also introduce the park and ride facilities at all gates during busy periods like the upcoming Human Rights weekend (19-21 March 2011). This service will provide alternative access to day visitors who still wish to enter the park once the gate day visitor quotas have been reached. An additional fee will be charged for the use of the park and ride facilities.
Day visitors are required to book through Central Reservations (012) 428 9111 or through the website via e-mail: reservations@sanparks.org. Wild Card holders and guests from neighbouring tourism establishments should also make sure they book for their day tours in advance.
Security personnel shall be deployed at all the gates to search people for liquor and no day visitor shall be allowed to enter the park with liquor.

Although in operation throughout the year, the gate quotas are mostly reached on long weekends and public holidays. The periods where high volumes of day visitors are expected in the park this year are as follows:

• 19 - 21 March 2011– Human Rights Day long weekend
• 23 April - 1 May 2011 – Easter Weekend, Freedom Day and Workers Day
• 17 - 18 June  – Youth Day long weekend
• 6 - 8 August 2011 – National Women’s Day long weekend
• 16 - 17 2011 December – Reconciliation Day long weekend
• 24 - 26 December 2011– Christmas Day long weekend
• 31 December 2011 -1 January  2012 – New Years Day long weekend

[via http://www.sanparks.org]