NATIONAL NEWS - Despite growing concerns over corruption, confusion and weak enforcement, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) says it is ready for the national roll-out of the contentious Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act.
Aarto is a system for handling traffic violations and includes a points demerit system that can lead to licence suspension or cancellation for repeat offenders, and a centralised digital platform for managing traffic fines. It will be rolled out nationally, starting in December.
The agency has ramped up preparations to ensure a smoother transition when the system goes live, with readiness efforts focused on training traffic officers, back-office administrators and cashiers.
The preparation phase also includes providing computer equipment to issuing authorities, connecting all enforcement bodies to the National Administration Traffic Information System (NaTIS), as well as printing and delivering the required stationery and notices.
RTIA confirms readiness for Aarto’s national roll-out in December
The roll-out comes after years of legal delays and two pilot projects in Tshwane and Johannesburg, with RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi saying lessons from those pilots prompted major amendments to the Act.
These included the introduction of electronic serving of infringement notices, the establishment of the Aarto appeals tribunal and the creation of a national traffic infringements adjudication authority with powers extending across the country.
He said the amended Act positions the RTIA as the authority, not just an agency, responsible for maintaining standards, regulations and oversight of all traffic infringement processes nationally.
“The RTIA will, therefore, be the custodian of all regulations, standards and other national regulatory requirements,” Mkalipi said.
He said lessons from the pilot phase also resulted in the introduction of a points demerit system and driver rehabilitation programme.
As part of the first phase, he said five officials have been trained so far to provide administrative support to the tribunal, while more than 180 staff currently handle infringement processing.
“Revised regulations to guide the setting up of the points demerit system will be published soon,” he said.
Single system used by all traffic enforcement agencies
The National Traffic Offences Register will, according to Mkalipi, be a single system used by all national, provincial and municipal traffic enforcement agencies to ensure consistency in penalties and record keeping.
He said a centralised charge book will standardise offences and fees across all jurisdictions and that the electronic service will be introduced in phases, with e-mail delivery forming the initial step.
However, Mkalipi said the success of the system depended on the accuracy of contact details stored on NaTIS.
He urged motorists to update their details or register online at www.aarto.gov.za and that motorists who do not receive their infringement notices would still be able to dispute or appeal them.
The Aarto framework, Mkalipi said, allows for several elective options, including submitting representations, nominating another driver, applying for revocation of enforcement orders, arranging payment plans, or electing to be tried in court.
These can be done online, or through Aarto service outlets nationwide and a web portal, as well as an app allowing drivers to check fines, demerit points and enforcement orders in real time.
He said each driving licence suspension or cancellation would undergo a quality assurance process before being issued to ensure no motorist was wrongly penalised.
Education and outreach campaigns being intensified
Public education and outreach campaigns are being intensified, Mkalipi said.
He urged the public not to offer or accept bribes, warning that offenders, including officials, would face disciplinary and criminal action.
He also said that traffic officers will not confiscate licences on the roadside and that suspensions or cancellations would be automatically generated and communicated through official notices.
Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen
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