THE National Off-Road Working group (NOW), in close collaboration with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and provincial environmental departments, has developed and prepared a strategy to address 4x4 activities in sensitive areas in South Africa.
 
The strategy aims to prohibit recreational off-road driving in sensitive areas, except on a registered trail by a licensed driver in a permitted vehicle. The strategy also sets out to accomplish the following targets:

·         Driver and rider competency,
·         Identification of sensitive areas,
·         Tourism development,
·         Trails and tracks, and
·         Off-road guiding, as well as attention to
·         Transformation, community involvement and upliftment.

The strategy is applicable to the inland recreational use of off-road vehicles including two-wheel, three-wheel and four-wheel vehicles, which includes 2x4 and 4x4 motor vehicles, quad bikes and motorbikes.
 
Activities will be phased in over a five-year period, based on the priority of the activity concerned. Each of the seven NOW member organisations will be responsible for the implementation of the strategy while DEAT will maintain a regulatory function, including the continued identification of sensitive areas.
 
“It is hoped that the implementation of this initiative will be as successful as the process to date, and that our neighbouring countries will be able to learn from this example when it comes to the prevention of damage caused by off-road vehicles to sensitive areas in their countries,” said Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk.