NEW AARTO SYSTEM TO START DECEMBER
The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Act (AARTO) has been gazetted. This means it's set to come into effect on 1 December.
President Ramaphosa signed the Proclamation on Friday.
While the Act will come into effect in major municipalities in 2025, the remaining sections of the Act will only take effect on 1 September 2026. These sections are believed to include the demerit points system.
The 69 municipalities will include Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekhuruleni, Mbombela, Polokwane, Durban, Newcastle, Ladysmith, Bloemfontein, Qgeberha, East London, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, George and Beaufort West.
From April 2026, smaller municipalities that will implement the Act include Musina, Umdoni, Lepelle, Okhahlamba, Richmond, Kokstad, Blouberg, Great Kei and Sundays River.
Some of the new laws include a 50% discount for motorists who pay their fines within 32 days. If not paid within the allocated discount timeframe, the fine will be elevated to the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA). By then, motorists will have a further 32 days in which to dispute the infringement or transfer it to another driver.
The points system will see all drivers begin with zero demerit points on their driving licence. Once the maximum of 15 points has been exceeded, the driver’s licence will be suspended for three months for every point over 15 points.
The AARTO system has been in development since 1998.
Image credit: The South African