The Committee for Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan has officially clarified the rules for paying for vehicle entry into national parks, putting an end to disputes over the legality of repeated charges. The department confirmed that demanding money from drivers for entering different gorges of the same national park within one day is illegal, reports infohub.kz.
The official response from the relevant committee was published by blogger and public figure Kazhym Dzhumaliev. The issue concerns not only auto tourists but also residents and businesses in Almaty, where the Ile-Alatau National Park directly adjoins the city limits. Drivers of commercial vehicles regularly delivering food and goods to restaurants, hotels, and recreation areas in mountain gorges, as well as guides and taxi drivers, had previously faced demands to pay for entry each time they passed through checkpoints.
Now, payment for vehicle entry is calculated for exactly 24 hours from the moment of the first payment. Having purchased a ticket at the entrance to one attraction (for example, Lake Kaindy), a driver has the right to enter other gorges of the same park (for example, Kolsai Lakes) unlimited times during the same day. Double payment is required only when crossing the borders of two different specially protected natural areas. For instance, when visiting Charyn National Park first and then Kolsai Lakes.
The committee instructed all national parks and companies operating automated checkpoints to configure the system to record daily payment regardless of the number of entries and exits.
For the convenience of travelers, in many popular national parks of the country, you can pay for an entry ticket in advance via the Kaspi.kz app. The receipt is saved on your smartphone and must be shown at checkpoints throughout the day of the trip.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that a public figure proposed free entry to national parks for Kazakh citizens at a meeting of the Atameken National Chamber. Kazhym Dzhumaliev, a board member of the Kaz Alpine Club, suggested considering an option where residents of settlements near national parks could walk in for free.