The national launch date for the Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) has been pushed back to the end of the year.

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) confirmed that 69 municipalities would implement the system from the beginning of December, with the remaining municipalities set to follow at the beginning of 2026. 

IoL reports that this follows a week after a previous announcement that the launch would take place in October.

However the controversial demerit points system that is the core feature of Aarto will only come into effect from September 2026 when the new enforcement framework enters its fourth and final phase, said RTIA spokesperson spokesperson Monde Mkalipi.

The RTIA said service outlets had been created across the country and more than 25 000 traffic officers were currently being trained to implement the new system within the confines of the law.

Mkalipi said Aarto would decriminalise minor traffic offences in order to take strain off the courts.

Rather than sending summonses to those who failed to pay their fines, which often do not even reach the courts, the new system would encourage compliance by blocking the renewal of vehicle and driving licences for those with outstanding fines. 

IoL reports that motorists who pay their fines within 32 days will receive a 50% discount.

If not paid during this initial period, the fine is elevated to RTIA level and motorists then have a further 32 days in which to dispute the infringement or transfer it to another driver.

However, once the 64 days are up, an enforcement order may be issued, which blocks transgressors from renewing their licences.

Full IoL report