Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has confirmed that the country’s controversial driving demerit system will not come into effect from 1 July as originally planned.
In a media briefing on Thursday (1 July), Mbalula said that the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act will instead be introduced in a phased approach to better prepare the public.
The Aarto will penalise drivers and fleet operators who are guilty of traffic offences or infringements by imposing demerit points that could lead to the suspension or cancellation of licences, professional driving permits or operator cards.
It will also encourage the payment of fines and reduce the burden on South African courts, by removing the initial option to elect to appear in court.
The new plan for the rollout is:
| Phase | Dates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 1 July 2021 – 30 September 2021 |
|
| Phase 2 | 1 October 2021 – 31 December 2021 |
|
| Phase 3 | 1 January 2022 – 30 June 2022 |
|
| Phase 4 | 1 July 2022 |
|
Civil society and motoring groups are not happy about the lack of clarity around the system and say that the new rules will almost certainly fail.
Outa said that the rollout has not been properly planned, there is a pending legal challenge against the system due in court in October, and the agency charged with implementation has refused to provide any information on readiness.
The group noted that the system also does not have an official start date – despite statements made by the government.
“The legislation which sets up the driver’s licence demerit system has not yet had an official start date gazetted. This means if it is expected to start on 1 July 2021 as Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula has previously claimed, it will be a last-minute authorisation,” it said.
“Last-minute is not the way to start such a complicated and bureaucratic process, particularly as this relies heavily on failed systems like municipalities.”
The group added that the planned demerit system was set up in the Aarto, but that section of the Act was never rolled out, with no clarity as to when this will be introduced.
Read: A quick guide to South Africa’s new road rules and demerit points