Municipalities' lack of readiness puts brakes on Aarto
Motorists in South Africa face a delay in the Aarto Amendment Act's implementation, originally set for December, now postponed to July 2026 due to municipal readiness issues.
Image: File picture
FINALISING the training of both law enforcement and back office personnel and harmonising the current law enforcement systems used by various municipalities, and funding thereof were among the key factors that have delayed the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system on December 1 .
In a statement on Monday, the transport ministry said Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and deputy minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have taken a decision to defer the implementation of the system to July 1, 2026.
The system was set to go live in 69 municipalities on December 1 in the initial plan with other municipalities set to follow later.
A new proclamation with new staggered implementation dates would be published with July 1, 2026 being the official implementation date.
Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku said the postponement provided much-needed space to ensure that every municipality, enforcement agency, and operational team was fully prepared for this important transition.
“This deferment is an opportunity to do things properly. We must walk this road together as all spheres of government and stakeholders. A successful transition depends on alignment, readiness, and making sure no one is left behind. That is how we build a safer, more efficient mobility system for everyone," said Sileku.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage said: “This delay was inevitable. Aarto was never ready, not in 2020, not in 2024, and certainly not now. These repeated postponements confirm what we have warned all along: the system is unworkable in its current form.”
Outa said it has tracked the system’s development for over a decade, consistently raising concerns about its practicality, transparency and alignment with the principles of fair administration.
“We support any system that improves road safety and encourages motorists to obey the law,” said Duvenage.
“But regulation must be clear, fair and functional. Aarto fails that test.”
He added that the latest regulations, rushed through without proper public participation, have only deepened concerns.
Cape Times