Traffic fine scam warning
The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) says fraudsters are using fake websites that mimic the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) website to scam motorists.
In a post on X, the agency highlighted that the official Aarto website is aarto.gov.za. It urged residents not to make payments or provide personal details on any other site claiming to be Aarto.
“Public Warning. Please be cautious of fraudulent websites pretending to be the official Aarto website,” it said. “These fake sites may be used to scam the public and steal personal or payment information.”
“Stay safe. Always verify the website URL before proceeding and report suspicious sites immediately.”
The RTIA issued several warnings regarding fraudulent traffic fine notification and payment requests in late 2025.
These came after it noticed an increase in after-hours scams targeting motorists with requests to pay fake traffic fines.
It urged motorists to disregard any such notifications sent after hours and verify concerns with the RTIA during office hours.
“Important reminder: RTIA has noticed an increase in after working hours scam emails regarding traffic fines,” the RTIA said.
A similar warning came from RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi. He noted that these after-hours notifications were being sent electronically.
Mkalipi explained that the electronic servicing of Aarto documents has yet to get the required legal approval in South Africa.
“The threatening emails that are being sent out to road users are illegal, demanding payments for traffic fines,” he told MyBroadband.
“Road users are urged to ignore these emails. No law is currently in place in South Africa stating that Aarto traffic fines should be served in this manner.”
He highlighted that many of these communications are often sent after working hours, especially on weekends.
“Such emails are unlawful. Road users should ignore the emails and verify such info with the RTIA before pressing any buttons on such online correspondence,” said Mkalipi.
“Currently, Aarto infringements are only served through personal means or registered mail.”
Wait for national Aarto rollout
While parts of the Aarto system are in effect in Pretoria and Johannesburg, the national rollout has been delayed once again.
In November 2025, the Department of Transport announced that the rollout had been deferred to 1 July 2026, rather than 1 December 2025, when the system was set to roll out to 69 more municipalities.
The department explained that there were deficiencies in the finalisation of the law enforcement and back office personnel.
Other deficiencies included harmonising the current law enforcement systems used by various municipalities and funding them.
“The Department will soon publish the new proclamation with new staggered implementation dates, the 1 July 2026 being the official implementation date,” the Department of Transport said.
“The phased approach of implementation will still be maintained as initially envisaged.”
Under the previous rollout timeline, Aarto’s first phase would have gone live in an additional 69 municipalities from 1 December 2025, followed by the remaining 144 municipalities from 1 April 2026.
The first phase doesn’t include the demerit points system for driving licences, which was set to roll out from 1 September 2026.
If the earlier timeline had remained in effect, the full implementation of Aarto, including the demerit points system, would have only occurred around mid-2027.
Some stakeholders, such as the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA), aren’t convinced that the system will help curb accidents and fatalities on the country’s roads.
The AA noted that the Aarto pilots in Pretoria and Johannesburg haven’t shown any improvement in road safety.
It warned that the system likely won’t address underlying road safety challenges, and rather risks worsening inefficiencies, unfairly burdening motorists, and further eroding public trust.
“South Africa’s persistent road fatalities point to deeper systemic factors, including law enforcement inefficiencies, road user education and behaviour, vehicle fitness, and safety, and infrastructure,” it said.
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