Court order sought against non-registered safari jeeps

Tensions flare up between registered and non-registered safari jeep owners at Yala

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama   

A court order will be sought against the actions of non-registered safari jeep owners who are demanding entry to Yala National Park without proper registration or trackers, the Yala National Park, park warden, Manoj Vidyarathna said. 

This move comes after a heated argument broke out in front of the park between registered and non-registered jeep owners as the department continues its annual process of registering new jeep batches.   
The park warden also said that nearly 100 new safari jeeps are currently pending registration, with the number increasing daily. Drivers of these unregistered vehicles are insisting on being allowed entry to the park despite not fulfilling the required registration process, including the installation of trackers, which is a key park management regulation under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.   
According to the circular issued by the Wild Life Director General, it is illegal to register additional safari jeeps other than the registered 551 vehicles. The circular was issued because the capacity of the safari vehicles cannot be accommodated by the park. It was also adviced to send unregistered vehicles with volunteer guides or trackers, he added.   
Meanwhile, an official from the association told the Daily Mirror that a total of 551 safari jeeps have been registered with the department. An additional 40 new safari jeeps are awaiting registration, further increasing the number of registered vehicles.   
“All 551 registered safari jeeps, which have been assigned identification numbers to be displayed on their vehicles, are permitted to enter the park without a tracker. However, there is a shortage of trackers to be assigned to new safari jeeps. As a result, a heated argument erupted between the new jeep owners and the registered jeep owners, leading to a decision to remove all identification stickers from registered safari jeeps,” the official said.   
He said the department has a limited number of trackers, and some are reportedly demanding fees from safari jeep drivers to guide them inside the park. According to national park regulations, trackers should be provided free of charge along with the safari jeeps. Due to the shortage, the park administration has allowed trained and registered safari jeep drivers to enter the park without trackers, granting them a special licence, he said.   
“As per park regulations, safari jeep drivers who have not undergone proper training are not permitted to enter the park without a tracker,” the park official said.   
However, the 40 newly added safari jeep drivers entered the park without trackers, which led to the heated confrontation at the entrance. These drivers blocked the main gate, preventing registered jeeps from entering. They demanded the park administration cancel the registration of existing safari jeeps and allow all jeeps to enter without restrictions.