14 January 2005
The Kruger National Park has introduced an emergency call centre to assist guests and staff with anything from minor problems to emergency situations they may find themselves in.
The call centre – 013 735 4325 – will operate round the clock every day of the year.
Park spokesperson Raymond Travers says the centre is being accommodated in the protection services building at the headquarters in Skukuza.
The centre’s staff members have been trained to capture information rapidly and pass it on to the appropriate authorities for immediate attention.
Travers adds that the centre is geared to handling anything from minor problems or inquiries – such as a need for assistance with a flat tyre or travel directions – to action in connection with matters of a more serious nature.
Park chief executive Bandile Mkhize points out that the creation of the new centre is aimed particularly at enhancing the Kruger experience for visitors, and hopes visitors will use the service responsibly and proactively.
“Like most such centres, the key to its effectiveness will lie in the training of the people who will run it, and we will therefore be very careful in our selection of these staff members”, says Mkhize.
He says people seeing anyone disregarding Park rules and regulations can also use the emergency number to report such incidents.
Source: BuaNews
