Truth about South Africa’s new demerit system

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) has confirmed to MyBroadband that no aspects of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act will roll out nationally on 1 October 2025.

This comes after several websites in South Africa reported that the new traffic infringement laws would take effect nationwide on that date.

“Any claims of a wider national rollout at this stage (which includes 1 October 2025) are incorrect, and no aspects of the Aarto Act will be rolled out nationally on 1 October 2025,” the RTIA told MyBroadband.

“The RTIA confirms that Aarto is currently operational only in the municipalities of Johannesburg and Tshwane.”

It added that the Department of Transport or the RTIA will issue any official statements regarding the implementation of Aarto.

“While some external reports or prior statements might have mentioned October 2025 (or other dates), the current RTIA statement directly addresses and refutes claims of a wider national rollout at this stage,” it stated.

The statement issued by the RTIA outlines the ongoing predatory process regarding Aarto, including:

• Developing a draft proclamation of the implementation of the Aarto Amendment Act.
• Developing draft Aarto regulations.
• Making selections for the Aarto Appeals Tribunal.
• Introducing electronic services to serve Aarto documents to infringers.
• Creating Aarto service outlets across the country.
• Educating and raising awareness on the Aarto system.
• Training traffic officers.
• Preparing to implement the Points Demerit System and the Aarto rehabilitation programme.

“These are all preparations for a national rollout, not a confirmation of the rollout date itself,” the RTIA said.

“The original timelines of the phase rollout of Aarto that were published on the introduction of the Points Demerit System are no longer applicable.”

It added that the penalty points system and rehabilitation programme for infringers form part of the third phase of the Aarto rollout.

“Dates for the introduction of the Points Demerit System are likely to be included in the presidential proclamation,” said the RTIA.

It added that the proclamation will require President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signature and will include a date for the commencement of phases two and three of the national rollout.

Nearly a year away

The claim that the Aarto Act will roll out nationally on 1 October 2025 appears to be based on old information.

RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi recently said there was no established timeline for a national rollout, adding that the process has yet to move to the second of four planned phases.

There is at least a 10-month gap between the start of the second phase and the full implementation of Aarto, including the penalty points system.

Mkalipi said several steps need to be completed before President Cyril Ramaphosa can sign the proclamation announcing the system’s national rollout.

This includes finalising “documentation” and regulations and establishing the appeals tribunal.

Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO Gavin Kelly said the regulations are likely to change based on stakeholder inputs.

Kelly said the RFA submitted extensive feedback on the scheme to the Department of Transport and the RTIA in 2019.

“To date, the association has not received feedback in terms of that, neither written nor verbal,” he stated.

“Nor has the Association seen any new regulations which would be required — given the type of feedback that was given to the RTIA and the tremendous pushback that came from the general public.”

Kelly said it is unlikely that Aarto will roll out nationally in its current form.

Former transport minister Fikile Mbalula announced the phased rollout in July 2021. The phases are summarised in the table below.