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The planned rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) was set to commence today, 1 July 2021.
However, during a recent media briefing, Transport minister Fikile Mbalula confirmed the system would not come into effect from 1 July 2021 as originally planned. Instead, Mbalula stated the AARTO Act would rather be introduced in a phased approach to better prepare the public.
The new plan for the rollout is as follows:
Phase 1 will take place from 1 July 2021 to 30 September 2021
- Establishment of 7 AARTO Service Outlets.
- The start of the processing of AARTO elective options in Issuing Authorities & AARTO Service Outlets.
- Deepen nationwide AARTO awareness.
Phase 2 is set to happen from 1 October 2021 to 31 December 2021
- Implementation of AARTO in 67 Local & Metros.
- 18 AARTO Service Outlets will also be established.
- AARTO adjudication process shall also commence.
- The Appeals Tribunal will become functional.
Phases 3 and 4 will take place from 1 January to 1 July 2022
- Introduction of AARTO in the remaining proclaimed 144 Local Municipal Areas
- Introduction of the Points Demerit System on 01 July 2022.
- Phasing in of the Rehabilitation program.
- 20 self-service kiosks will also be established.
Prior to the media briefing, the Automobile Association (AA) pointed out that the details around the set rollout were still lacking—emphasised it is becoming increasingly urgent for the government, and the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA), to inform the public of exactly what the process will be.
In fact, the AA claims too many motorists are in the dark about what will happen on 1 July, if anything, and how the introduction of the system will impact them—remembering that the RTIA is the agency that administers AARTO and will also house the AARTO Appeals Tribunal adjudicating challenges motorists have with infringement notices issued to them.
“We raised concerns earlier this month about the lack of information, and the exact timeframes for the implementation of AARTO. While there has been some reporting on the phased approach which will be followed, this has not been widely communicated to the public by the RTIA. Individuals and businesses are rightly concerned because AARTO will have an impact on them, especially on businesses as the costs of compliance with the system will be high.” Moreover, the AA explained, “In October last year we raised our concerns that AARTO does not support government’s stated intention of promoting road safety but that it is instead a more effective mechanism for revenue collection. We raised these and other concerns in our submission on the proposed amendments to the AARTO regulations. Sadly, there has been no clarification on the final AARTO Act, and motorists throughout the country are still unsure of what will happen come 1 July.”
Concluding the AA stated, “The introduction of AARTO is a major development for road users in South Africa and the RTIA and the Department of Transport must do more to inform the public on what is happening. It’s only fair that details on a system that will have such significant impacts on motoring in the country are communicated clearly so everyone knows precisely where they stand in relation to the new rules.”
To draw attention to some of the issues raised by its members, the Association has published a summary on the AARTO Launch on its website for all motorists, which can be read by clicking on the following link: AARTO Launch Summary
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