Safari Jeep Drivers’ Association Demands Unhindered Access to Yala Park

In a bid to solve the issue of over-crowding within the Yala National Park, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Wildlife the ministry had last month restricted the number of safari jeeps entering the park to 200 a day viz:100 during the morning session and 100 more in the afternoon. As per statistics of the DWC the highest number of vehicles that had entered the park on a single day during past three years was only 425 with the exception of December.

However, the safari jeep drivers’ associations have vehemently opposed the new regulation and demanded unhindered access to the park. On the other hand, environmentalists opposed increasing the number of jeeps entering the park.

Under these circumstances , the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Wildlife yesterday had decided to increase the number of safari jeeps entering the Yala National Wildlife Park to 500 a day, a senior official of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) said.

The decision was taken at a meeting held with the participation of Sustainable Development and Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Director General of the DWC M.G.C. Sooriyabandara, Director Planning of the DWC Ranjan Marasinghe, Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadasa and four jeep drivers’ associations whose members are permitted to conduct tours of the Yala National Park. Safari Jeep Drivers’ Associations have said, that they are satisfied with the decision taken to increase the number of jeeps entering to 500 and praised the efforts taken by Ministers Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and Sajith Premadasa in this connection.