RTIA denies nationwide AARTO rollout claims
Reports suggest the demerit points system is already in effect across the country.
But the Road Traffic Infringement Agency has labelled those claims as fake news.
The agency says it's only operational in Johannesburg and Tshwane, with just one of the four rollout phases completed.
RTIA spokesperson, Monde Mkalipi, joins us now to discuss this.
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IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
You read the news, but we – the journalists
Letters to the Editor. Image: Supplied And just how exactly is this going to work? I read in the media that AARTO will be implemented in the near future. But with the shocking state of road behaviour, I have to ask: who will police it? We see it daily – taxis driven by unlicensed drivers or those with bought licences, totally unroadworthy vehicles, tailgating, shooting red lights at high speed, no idea of how to handle four-way stops, and blatant rule-breaking such as blacked-out windows, illegal exhausts, parking anywhere, and ignoring indicators. Fatal head-on crashes between taxis and buses, bakkies, and even other taxis happen with alarming regularity. Overloading is routine, and proper driving school instruction is clearly this, add traffic officials who are corrupt, involved in crime, fraud, and bribery – including at licensing departments where roadworthy certificates are bought. The taxi industry often operates with impunity, resembling organised policing already almost invisible and riddled with corruption, how will AARTO be enforced? How do you take away a licence from someone who never had one in the first place? Unless there is a complete overhaul of traffic law enforcement, AARTO will remain just that – a pipe dream. | Roland Fisher Durban 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. 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 ✕ It's simple: European lives count more There has been global outrage and condemnation over the killing of five journalists. Ruthless Netanyahu gunned down the Al-Jeeraza journalists in Gaza on Sunday, claiming they were fighting for Hamas while posing as journalists. But Hamas and Al-Jeeraza have denied this. According to the UN, an estimated 241 Palestinian journalists have killed by the Israelis since the invasion of Gaza in 2023. Journalists are enemies of the Israelis. They tell the world about the atrocities Netanyahu's forces are committing in Gaza. They are trouble-makers, always nosing around and spreading false information. So they have to be wiped out. If Netanyahu can kill helpless women, innocent children and even little babies still suckling their mother's breasts, what are journalists to him? They are just paper to him, to be torn and squashed to Netanyahu cannot kill the people of Gaza with his guns, he'll starve them to death. He has, however, rubbished claims by the aid organisations and the media that there is starvation in Gaza. He has called it a 'bold faced lie'. For once US President Donald Trump has spoken out against his ally and agreed with the media and the aid organisations there is real starvation in Gaza. But Trump will go no further than merely saying that the people of Haza are being starved to death. He hasn't ordered Netanyahu to stop the bloodshed in Gaza or that the US will stop supplying Israel with armaments. Yet tomorrow he is going to meet with Vladimir Putin in Alaska and ask him to stop the war in Ukraine. So Trump-like, double-faced. Ukraine is a European country and Palestine is not. Israel is helping in the war against terrorism, fighting radical organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah. The Middle East is of strategic importance to it and Israel is helping it to maintain the balance of power in the region. In the end it boils down to this: whether you are European or not. European lives matter more; Palestinian (and Sudanese) don't. | Thyagaraj Markandan Kloof Don't shoot the messenger As a journalist, I am shattered by the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza – a grotesque act of barbarity by a military force pulverising a defenceless people. No nation in the past seven decades has committed killings on such a scale, immune from prosecution because of powerful allies controlling the levers of global governance. The brutal killing of journalists is savagery the so-called civilised world must condemn as strongly as it has denounced the war in Ukraine. The display of raw firepower in Gaza and the West Bank makes that conflict pale in comparison. Such killing is premeditated murder. The Western media, with its tainted reporting, aids and abets the aggressor. International diplomacy is absent. The momentum for peaceful dialogue diminishes by the hour, while resort to brute force risks igniting a wider conflagration. A world of double standards turns a blind eye when Muslims are the victims. Since 1990, more than 2,500 journalists have been killed. Murdering a journalist is the ultimate form of censorship; jailing them is intimidation. When journalists are killed, democracy dies. Violence hangs over the gatekeepers of our freedoms, and ending impunity for these crimes is essential to protect free expression and access to information. The UN General Assembly has proclaimed November 2 the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. Journalists are our eyes and ears. As the old saying goes: 'You buy the news – we pay the price.' The first casualty in conflict is the truth; the second is the the Geneva Conventions, journalists are civilians in conflict zones. Harming or killing them is a war crime. Yet killings persist, and when they go unpunished, more will follow. Silencing the messenger will bring catastrophe for humanity. As the saying goes: 'The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.' | Farouk Araie Benoni Community narrative is clear As more details drip out regarding the format of the ANC's 'national dialogue', to some extent the intended exercise may parallel Mao Zedong's 'One Hundred Flowers' campaign of 1956-57. Fully aware of the peasants' resistance to his policy of enforced collectivisation of agriculture, Mao's open dialogue campaign had a dual purpose: to soften resistance to collectivisation and to identify key political opponents by drawing them out into the open. 'Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend', was an entirely false invitation by Mao who had every intention of emulating the brutal collectivisation Stalin had imposed on agriculture in Russia. Similarly, the proposed 'national dialogue' is an ANC contrivance because regardless of community opinion, it has no intention of deviating from the trajectory of its historically discredited Marxist National Democratic Revolution. Thus, the promotion of 'community dialogue' to be held in every ward, not once but three times, is a no-brainer because the narrative of community dialogue is very much alive and clear in social media and the weekly community newspapers. That narrative calls for an end to the corruption, incompetence and fraud of the ANC. It does not require any money to recognise that, which is why the R700-million dialogue budget is an unconscionable waste. But, as we all know, it will be distributed among the useful idiots the ANC has invited to lend credence to the farce, ANC cronies, the hiring of buses, halls, caterers and disc jockeys to create a suitable ambience while South Africa continues to flounder. | DR DUNCAN DU BOIS Bluff Sooner all things get better It is sheer desperation to believe you can prepare the way for the next 30 years of South Africa when you have failed to do so in the past 32. Someone close to President Cyril Ramaphosa should remind him that a leopard doesn't change its spots – and a rapidly declining ANC has proven this to be true.A glimmer of hope appeared when the leadership of the legacy foundations withdrew from the Au 15 gust national convention. Like-minded people in the president's circle should take note and avoid the trap of trying to save a 40% party. Before we can 'march forward to a people's government,' Mr Ramaphosa must address the matters that have contributed to our failed state: *Exclusion of the Foundation Nation (Khoisan) from the Codesa process set the stage for future failure, building every government since on the wrong foundation. *(Zondo Commission recommendations – senior ANC figures were implicated in state capture, and even Chief Justice Zondo admitted it pained him to swear in some ministers. *Malfunctioning municipalities – the auditor-general has repeatedly exposed failures in financial management, legal compliance, and service delivery. *Enduring corruption – the public deserves to know how much taxpayer money has been wasted during this presidency before another R1 billion is spent on a national dialogue. As another voice in the media recently said of the decayed state of Johannesburg: 'When the president expressed shock at the CBD's condition in March 2025, 'one felt the betrayal like a bitter poison in the mouth'.' Many South Africans no longer trust a president seemingly unaware of what happens under his own nose. It's time to wake up, Mr President, and smell the coffee – because all good things come to an end, some sooner than later. | Clive Solomon Goodwood DAILY NEWS
The Herald
06-08-2025
- The Herald
How SA's new driving licence demerit system will work
On August 1 the government gazetted the legislation for the long-delayed Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system to be rolled out. The second phase will be implemented on December 1 in 69 municipalities, with the remaining 144 municipalities to follow on April 1 2026. The demerit points system comes into effect countrywide on September 1 2026, designed to ensure that habitual traffic offenders are removed from South Africa's roads. Aarto is the government's plan to replace the criminal system with an administrative one. With Aarto, drivers will be allocated points for offences and face suspension or cancellation of their licences if they accumulate too many, in addition to any penalty fee payable. It is administered by the Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA), a state-owned entity financed from fines and money appropriated by parliament. Aarto decriminalises most traffic violations and subjects them to administrative processes. It does this by categorising road traffic violations as infringements or offences. Infringements (decriminalised violations) are dealt with administratively and offences are dealt with in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act. Here's how it will work: Drivers start with zero points, with different infringements carrying different demerit points depending on severity, up to a maximum of six points. The points are in addition to a penalty fee imposed for the infringement or the requirement to go to court for more serious offences. For initial infringements, drivers will have the option to resolve them within 32 days and benefit from a 50% discount or choose other options such as submitting a representation or paying in instalments. A driver may accumulate up to 15 demerit points without losing their driving privileges. The licence of a driver is suspended for three months for each demerit point above the threshold. One demerit point is deducted for every three months the driver does not incur any additional demerit points. Four points can be reduced on completion of a rehabilitation programme. Driving a motor vehicle during a disqualification period is a criminal offence. A conviction can result in a fine or imprisonment for up to one year or both. A driver's licence may be suspended twice in the lifetime of its holder. If the threshold is again exceeded after two suspensions, the driver's licence is cancelled. In the case of a cancelled licence the driver will have to start with a learner's licence once the disqualification period has lapsed. If you receive an infringement notice but were not the driver of the vehicle, you may nominate the driver who committed the infringement. You must nominate a driver in the first 32 days after receiving an infringement notice. This may be done on the website. If you believe there are reasonable grounds for cancelling your infringement notice you may submit a representation on the same website. You can elect to be tried in court when issued with an infringement notice (only for infringement notices with an infringement date up to November 30 2025), when you receive a courtesy letter, or when your representation for an infringement fails. For unsuccessful representation outcomes received for infringement dates from December 1 2025, you approach through an application made to the Appeals Tribunal, an independent body accountable to the department of transport. If your application fails you may lodge an appeal or review application to a magistrate's court. Examples of fines and demerit points allocation • Exceeding speed limit 11km/h-15km/h: R250 and zero points • Exceeding speed limit 16km/h-20km/h: R500 and one point • Exceeding speed limit 21km/h-25km/h: R750 and two points • Exceeding speed limit more than 40km/h: Court and six points • Failing to keep left: R1,000 and three points • Failing to use indicators: R500 and one point • Vehicle not registered or licensed: R1,000 and three points • Vehicle with no number plates: Court and six points • Vehicle with only one number plate: R500 and two points • Driver not licensed: R1,250 and four points • Driver's licence not in vehicle: R1,250 and four points • Disobeying stop sign or robot: R750 and two points • Driving under the influence of alcohol: Court and six points Infringement notices, courtesy letters and enforcement orders An infringement notice is served on an alleged infringer to know they have contravened a traffic law. It can either be issued on the side of the road, via postage or it can be an electronic infringement issued via email. Paying the penalty within 32 days of receiving it qualifies you for a 50% discount. If you fail to act within 32 days, the RTIA issues a courtesy letter. This removes the 50% discount and adds a R100 fee for the courtesy letter. Within 32 days you may pay the full penalty, arrange to pay it in instalments or make a written representation setting out why you are not liable for the infringement. If your representation fails you must pay an additional R200 administrative penalty. If you fail to act within 32 days of the courtesy letter, the RTIA issues an enforcement order that electronically blocks issuing of documents on NaTIS, meaning that no driving licence, professional driving permit or vehicle licence disc may be issued. It also allocates demerit points to your name.
TimesLIVE
06-08-2025
- TimesLIVE
How SA's new driving licence demerit system will work
On August 1 the government gazetted the legislation for the long-delayed Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system to be rolled out. The second phase will be implemented on December 1 in 69 municipalities, with the remaining 144 municipalities to follow on April 1 2026. The demerit points system comes into effect countrywide on September 1 2026, designed to ensure that habitual traffic offenders are removed from South Africa's roads. Aarto is the government's plan to replace the criminal system with an administrative one. With Aarto, drivers will be allocated points for offences and face suspension or cancellation of their licences if they accumulate too many, in addition to any penalty fee payable. It is administered by the Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA), a state-owned entity financed from fines and money appropriated by parliament. Aarto decriminalises most traffic violations and subjects them to administrative processes. It does this by categorising road traffic violations as infringements or offences. Infringements (decriminalised violations) are dealt with administratively and offences are dealt with in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act. Here's how it will work: Drivers start with zero points, with different infringements carrying different demerit points depending on severity, up to a maximum of six points. The points are in addition to a penalty fee imposed for the infringement or the requirement to go to court for more serious offences. For initial infringements, drivers will have the option to resolve them within 32 days and benefit from a 50% discount or choose other options such as submitting a representation or paying in instalments. A driver may accumulate up to 15 demerit points without losing their driving privileges. The licence of a driver is suspended for three months for each demerit point above the threshold. One demerit point is deducted for every three months the driver does not incur any additional demerit points. Four points can be reduced on completion of a rehabilitation programme. Driving a motor vehicle during a disqualification period is a criminal offence. A conviction can result in a fine or imprisonment for up to one year or both. A driver's licence may be suspended twice in the lifetime of its holder. If the threshold is again exceeded after two suspensions, the driver's licence is cancelled. In the case of a cancelled licence the driver will have to start with a learner's licence once the disqualification period has lapsed. If you receive an infringement notice but were not the driver of the vehicle, you may nominate the driver who committed the infringement. You must nominate a driver in the first 32 days after receiving an infringement notice. This may be done on the website. If you believe there are reasonable grounds for cancelling your infringement notice you may submit a representation on the same website. You can elect to be tried in court when issued with an infringement notice (only for infringement notices with an infringement date up to November 30 2025), when you receive a courtesy letter, or when your representation for an infringement fails. For unsuccessful representation outcomes received for infringement dates from December 1 2025, you approach through an application made to the Appeals Tribunal, an independent body accountable to the department of transport. If your application fails you may lodge an appeal or review application to a magistrate's court. Examples of fines and demerit points allocation • Exceeding speed limit 11km/h-15km/h: R250 and zero points • Exceeding speed limit 16km/h-20km/h: R500 and one point • Exceeding speed limit 21km/h-25km/h: R750 and two points • Exceeding speed limit more than 40km/h: Court and six points • Failing to keep left: R1,000 and three points • Failing to use indicators: R500 and one point • Vehicle not registered or licensed: R1,000 and three points • Vehicle with no number plates: Court and six points • Vehicle with only one number plate: R500 and two points • Driver not licensed: R1,250 and four points • Driver's licence not in vehicle: R1,250 and four points • Disobeying stop sign or robot: R750 and two points • Driving under the influence of alcohol: Court and six points Infringement notices, courtesy letters and enforcement orders An infringement notice is served on an alleged infringer to know they have contravened a traffic law. It can either be issued on the side of the road, via postage or it can be an electronic infringement issued via email. Paying the penalty within 32 days of receiving it qualifies you for a 50% discount. If you fail to act within 32 days, the RTIA issues a courtesy letter. This removes the 50% discount and adds a R100 fee for the courtesy letter. Within 32 days you may pay the full penalty, arrange to pay it in instalments or make a written representation setting out why you are not liable for the infringement. If your representation fails you must pay an additional R200 administrative penalty. If you fail to act within 32 days of the courtesy letter, the RTIA issues an enforcement order that electronically blocks issuing of documents on NaTIS, meaning that no driving licence, professional driving permit or vehicle licence disc may be issued. It also allocates demerit points to your name.
