No date for national Aarto roll-out yet, says Road Traffic Infringement Agency
No, demerit points for motorists are not yet in effect across the country. This is according to the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA), which refuted on social media that the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act 4 of 2019 has been rolled out nationally.
The agency states that Aarto is only operational in Johannesburg and Tshwane.
'It has come to our attention that fake news about the Aarto roll-out date has been spread. RTIA assures the public that an official statement will be released when the next phase is implemented,' a social media post reads.
🚨 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
It has come to our attention that fake news about the AARTO rollout date has been spread. RTIA assures the public that an official statement will be released when the next phase is implemented. AARTO is currently operational in Johannesburg and Tshwane pic.twitter.com/dFT93c9qJA
— RTIA – Home of AARTO (@rtia_aarto) June 5, 2025
Delays
The implementation of Aarto, despite being declared constitutional by the Constitutional Court in July 2023, has faced multiple delays for various reasons. As of February 2024, unresolved issues included the appointment of a tribunal to manage appeals, which is essential for the system's operation, according to a report by TimesLive.
Business Tech states that Aarto has four phases:
In Phase 1, Aarto focused on setting up the necessary infrastructure, including service outlets, and enabling the electronic national administration traffic information system to process payments.
Phase 2 will see Aarto rolled out to 69 municipalities.
Phase 3 will extend implementation to the remaining 144 municipalities.
Phase 4 will introduce the demerit point system and a rehabilitation programme for repeat offenders.
How does Aarto work?
According to the RTIA, the Aarto process involves three steps with various sub-processes. The three steps are: Infringement notice, courtesy letter and enforcement order.
This X post explains the process:
🚗🚦 The AARTO process involves three steps with various sub-processes depending on the motorist's reaction. It is the motorist's responsibility to act. Failure to do so will result in consequences. pic.twitter.com/6JRfjpGe8e
— RTIA – Home of AARTO (@rtia_aarto) June 5, 2025
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The RTIA said service outlets had been created across the country and over 25,000 traffic officers were currently being trained to implement the new system within the confines of the law. Mkalipi said AARTO would decriminalise minor traffic offences in order to take strain off the courts. Rather than sending summonses to those who failed to pay their fines, which often do not even reach the courts, the new system would encourage compliance by blocking the renewal of vehicle and driving licences for those with outstanding fines. Motorists who pay their fines within 32 days will receive a 50% discount. If not paid during this initial period, the fine is elevated to RTIA level, where a courtesy letter is sent to remind recipients of their rights. Motorists then have a further 32 days in which to dispute the infringement or transfer it to another driver. However, once the 64 days are up, an enforcement order may be issued, which blocks transgressors from renewing their licences. So far this new process has only been applicable to Johannesburg and Pretoria, which formed part of the pilot phase for AARTO, but the new laws will also affect the 69 additional municipalities from December 2025. The RTIA has not named these towns and cities as yet. How the demerit system works Every motorist begins with zero demerit points on their driving licence, with different demerit points prescribed for various offences. If a total of 15 points is exceeded, the licence will be suspended for three months for each point over this threshold. These rules also apply to vehicle operator cards. More than two suspensions will lead to the licence being cancelled altogether, and the driver will then need to redo the entire licensing process, starting with a learner's licence. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Although numerous offences will be 'decriminalised' under AARTO, such as minor speeding infringements and failure to wear a seatbelt, more serious offences will result in criminal procedures. These include driving under the influence, driving with a suspended licence and 'excessive' speeding, in which you exceed the limit by more than 40km/h. These 'criminalised' offences, which will be handled by the courts, will still result in the loss of demerit points, with six deducted in the case of drunk driving, driving with no number plates or failing to stop at an accident. The AARTO system has been delayed numerous times, with the legislation having been in development since 1998. It has also faced numerous legal hiccups, culminating in it being declared unconstitutional by the Pretoria High Court in January 2022. This was effectively overturned by the Constitutional Court of South Africa in July 2023, paving the way for its implementation. However, advocacy organisations such as the Automobile Association (AA) and the Organisation for Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) have challenged and criticised the AARTO system, with the latter initiating the aforementioned 2022 court case. The AA believes AARTO will not save lives as it is geared towards revenue collection rather than promoting safer roads. 'Introducing legislation will not solve the country's road safety crisis. This merely creates an impression of action while nothing will change on the ground, where it is needed. As part of our contention, we point to the fact that there is no evidence that the AARTO pilot project saved a single life,' the AA said. However, the RTIA believes strengthening laws for road traffic compliance was paramount, as research shows that more than 80% of road crashes are a result of human error. It said the department was moving closer to implementing 24-hour visible traffic law enforcement. IOL
