TMNP Activity Card system - there has to be a better way

[Stephan]

Having just renewed my TMNP Activity Permit for another year, I couldn’t help but wonder why is the pricing so complicated and does this system actually work? I’m all for the Activity Permit if it keeps the awesome trails in and around Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point open to the mounting biking community, but there has to be a better, more effective way.

Here is a suggestion:

1. Simplify the pricing to make it one standard flat fee for the permit per year (say R380 per person, which is what we now pay if you are able to get four people together when buying/renewing your permit).
2. Instead of having only one pay point at Tokai office, allow people to buy permits at any bike shop in Cape Town.
3. Instead of issuing a little pocket sized card, issue a colour coded board system, like many others clubs do, which is valid from Jan to Dec only. The board must be attached to your bike. It’s a self-policing system in that riders who try to dodge the system are instantaneously visible to other “legal” riders and/or SANPark rangers. I would bet that this system will also increase revenue to SANParks since more people will be forced into buying a permit.  

To answer my own question, does the current system actually work? Well, judging by people I have spoken to, I would guess 3/10 people riding the trails have a valid Activity Permit. In terms of policing the system, in one year of having done roughly 4000km on the TMNP trails (Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point) I have been stopped twice. Is the system working? No. 

I would love for those in the know to say if alternatives to the current system has actually been discussed with SANParks? 

[MTBeer]

3 minutes ago, Stephan said:

Having just renewed my TMNP Activity Permit for another year, I couldn’t help but wonder why is the pricing so complicated and does this system actually work? I’m all for the Activity Permit if it keeps the awesome trails in and around Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point open to the mounting biking community, but there has to be a better, more effective way.

Here is a suggestion:

1. Simplify the pricing to make it one standard flat fee for the permit per year (say R380 per person, which is what we now pay if you are able to get four people together when buying/renewing your permit).
2. Instead of having only one pay point at Tokai office, allow people to buy permits at any bike shop in Cape Town.
3. Instead of issuing a little pocket sized card, issue a colour coded board system, like many others clubs do, which is valid from Jan to Dec only. The board must be attached to your bike. It’s a self-policing system in that riders who try to dodge the system are instantaneously visible to other “legal” riders and/or SANPark rangers. I would bet that this system will also increase revenue to SANParks since more people will be forced into buying a permit.  

To answer my own question, does the current system actually work? Well, judging by people I have spoken to, I would guess 3/10 people riding the trails have a valid Activity Permit. In terms of policing the system, in one year of having done roughly 4000km on the TMNP trails (Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point) I have been stopped twice. Is the system working? No. 

I would love for those in the know to say if alternatives to the current system has actually been discussed with SANParks? 

to answer point

1. that would require logic and this is a government department

2. see point 1 above

3. have you seen the fashion slaves on the Hub biaaatch about attaching bike boards to their precious bikes?

[Jewbacca]

I'm of the opinion that on this one, you just use the system, don't try to think about it, and make sure your card is valid.

Buy into the Tokai MTB membership if you ride there a lot. That money actually goes towards the trails, not to PTA and disappears....

No amount of logic here will implement change in this regard. It's a dead horse in a dead end. 

[MTBeer]

5 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I'm of the opinion that on this one, you just use the system, don't try to think about it, and make sure your card is valid.

Buy into the Tokai MTB membership if you ride there a lot. That money actually goes towards the trails, not to PTA and disappears....

No amount of logic here will implement change in this regard. It's a dead horse in a dead end. 

Agreed. In the words of Jacob Zuma, "TMNP will rule until Jesus comes"

Edited July 23, 2021 by MTBeer
spelling

[babse]

11 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I'm of the opinion that on this one, you just use the system, don't try to think about it, and make sure your card is valid.

Buy into the Tokai MTB membership if you ride there a lot. That money actually goes towards the trails, not to PTA and disappears....

No amount of logic here will implement change in this regard. It's a dead horse in a dead end. 

agreed on all of the above.

[DJR]

For sure there are many better ways of dealing with TMNP access, some good and simple, easy to use ones even, but knowing SANParks, they, sure as hell, will never use any of those.????

[DieselnDust]

20 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I'm of the opinion that on this one, you just use the system, don't try to think about it, and make sure your card is valid.

Buy into the Tokai MTB membership if you ride there a lot. That money actually goes towards the trails, not to PTA and disappears....

No amount of logic here will implement change in this regard. It's a dead horse in a dead end. 

AMEN

and its not actually as bad as it could be <I should open a tender for this>

The only inconvenience is the Tokai permit office and this is due to Disaster Management Act requirements. We used to be able to buy the Activity card at any Cape Nature Office and Kirstenbosch as well as Tokai. Much of the pain you feel now is due to the pandemic.

Other inefficiencies have been worked around by the community

[Eddy Gordo]

You used to be able to buy the permit at any Sanparks office, including at cape town airport which was open until 8pm. This has changed with covid unfortunately. 

As for the pricing, I do not have a problem.

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

I don't have a problem forking out for the card, have done it for years.

the only thing I ask is to see some visibile security.

[Yyyy]

1 hour ago, Stephan said:

Having just renewed my TMNP Activity Permit for another year, I couldn’t help but wonder why is the pricing so complicated and does this system actually work? I’m all for the Activity Permit if it keeps the awesome trails in and around Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point open to the mounting biking community, but there has to be a better, more effective way.

Here is a suggestion:

1. Simplify the pricing to make it one standard flat fee for the permit per year (say R380 per person, which is what we now pay if you are able to get four people together when buying/renewing your permit).
2. Instead of having only one pay point at Tokai office, allow people to buy permits at any bike shop in Cape Town.
3. Instead of issuing a little pocket sized card, issue a colour coded board system, like many others clubs do, which is valid from Jan to Dec only. The board must be attached to your bike. It’s a self-policing system in that riders who try to dodge the system are instantaneously visible to other “legal” riders and/or SANPark rangers. I would bet that this system will also increase revenue to SANParks since more people will be forced into buying a permit.  

To answer my own question, does the current system actually work? Well, judging by people I have spoken to, I would guess 3/10 people riding the trails have a valid Activity Permit. In terms of policing the system, in one year of having done roughly 4000km on the TMNP trails (Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point) I have been stopped twice. Is the system working? No. 

I would love for those in the know to say if alternatives to the current system has actually been discussed with SANParks? 

I dont like boards on my handlebars. I crash a lot and keep breaking any boards I had on my bike.

Also those Activity cards are not just for cycling, they cover other activities as well (looking at you dog walkers)

I think the current system can be made better with an app and standard pricing for both day pass and annual pass. This can be an addition to the current system for sure.

[Hairy]

Even just being able to purchase the yearly or daily permit on-line and then have a "digital" QR code or the like that you can produce if the arm breaking police come around 

[Eddy Gordo]

1 hour ago, Hairy on a Davidson said:

Even just being able to purchase the yearly or daily permit on-line and then have a "digital" QR code or the like that you can produce if the arm breaking police come around 

an option to print the card with your details, id, and membership number. 

[MTBeer]

3 hours ago, Eddy Gordo said:

You used to be able to buy the permit at any Sanparks office, including at cape town airport which was open until 8pm. This has changed with covid unfortunately. 

As for the pricing, I do not have a problem.

Yup. 4 peeps = R380.00pp.

Happy to pay that

[NC_lurker]

5 hours ago, Stephan said:

 

1. Instead of having only one pay point at Tokai office, allow people to buy permits at any bike shop in Cape Town.
2. Instead of issuing a little pocket sized card, issue a colour coded board system, like many others clubs do, which is valid from Jan to Dec only. The board must be attached to your bike. It’s a self-policing system in that riders who try to dodge the system are instantaneously visible to other “legal” riders and/or SANPark rangers. I would bet that this system will also increase revenue to SANParks since more people will be forced into buying a permit.  

I would love for those in the know to say if alternatives to the current system has actually been discussed with SANParks? 

As mentioned by others, a level 3 activity permit isn't only used for biking. The card is simple, pop it in your pocket & you're done whether you're riding, walking your dog, paragliding, climbing etc

The real issue is that renewals should be possible online. However that would require a card that didn't expire, which would likewise require an electronic device to check it's current status.

Having said that, an easy solution nowadays would be for each card to have a QR code which could be scanned by any mobile device linking to a basic web form displaying basic card status (active/expired)....of course that still would require sanparks to issue all rangers with smartphones. Plus there's the connectivity issues in parts of the park...

In the end, sanparks is a government institution. Any solution they implement is going to be implemented via a tender process & picked on criteria not at all linked to actual service delivery.

[DieselnDust]

3 hours ago, Eddy Gordo said:

an option to print the card with your details, id, and membership number. 

 in South Africa..... Surely you jest? I know its Friday afternoon but you can at least post in Italics

[DieselnDust]

1 minute ago, NC_lurker said:

As mentioned by others, a level 3 activity permit isn't only used for biking. The card is simple, pop it in your pocket & you're done whether you're riding, walking your dog, paragliding, climbing etc

The real issue is that renewals should be possible online. However that would require a card that didn't expire, which would likewise require an electronic device to check it's current status.

Having said that, an easy solution nowadays would be for each card to have a QR code which could be scanned by any mobile device linking to a basic web form displaying basic card status (active/expired)....of course that still would require sanparks to issue all rangers with smartphones. Plus there's the connectivity issues in parts of the park...

In the end, sanparks is a government institution. Any solution they implement is going to be implemented via a tender process & picked on criteria not at all linked to actual service delivery.

 

Hopefully soon we will be able to use our Smart ID cards to access Government facilities....

oh wait .... but then the gov can track me. scratch that