Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) and its head, Howard Dembovsky in his personal capacity as a motorist, publicly endorse the submission regarding the latest draft AARTO regulations made by the Automobile Association of South Africa (the AA) on 22 October 2020.
“The latest draft regulations confirm everything that JPSA and I have been saying for over a decade, regarding the blatant commercialisation of traffic fines, and the AA has now hit the nail on the head,” said Dembovsky.
“From the enormous increases in the fines and the administrative fees payable to numerous new obstacles which are to be put in the way of a motorist who wishes to prove his or her innocence; these draft regulations make it clear that money and not justice or road safety is the primary focus of the AARTO Act,” he lamented.
Except where alleged infringers elect to be tried in court under its current provisions, the AARTO Act already regards traffic fines as little more than invoices.
“Should the AARTO Amendment Act be implemented nationally on 1 July 2021, where a popup Tribunal further hinders access to the lower courts, the injustices it will create are too frightening to imagine. Once regulations have been enacted, reversing them is a very tedious and costly process,” Dembovsky continued.
“In fact, the AARTO Amendment Act and its regulations now openly contradict basic principles of justice and fairness, with drivers earning minimum wage set to be hit hardest,” he concluded.