Motorists were provided with more clarity this week when the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula addressed the implementation and rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act, which was planned to start on 1 July 2021. He announced a phased implementation with the first phase to take place between 1 July and 30 September 2021.
This phase will primarily involve the finalisation of the various processes needed for AARTO to begin. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, explains further: “Drivers in 67 municipalities will only start to see the implementation of AARTO as from 1 October 2021. On 1 January 2022, AARTO will be implemented in the rest of South Africa’s municipalities.
“While there has been much resistance and reluctance to see AARTO implemented, drivers should still see the opportunity to prepare that the planned implementation offers. This is because it is only from 1 July 2022 that demerit points will be introduced.”
If your company has not yet started preparing for AARTO now is the time to do so. “MasterDrive provides companies with training that will help employees prepare for the demerit implementation next year. Now that a set plan is in place for AARTO’s implementation, companies should be taking steps to ensure that no person or livelihood is negatively affected by the demerit system.
“Companies should see the further year to prepare for the demerit system for the opportunity it presents. Many bad driving habits could be considerably changed and reduced in this time, reducing the potential impact that AARTO demerits can have on you and your drivers.”
The announcement this week is likely one of the most decisive that has been made in the lengthy implementation of AARTO. “While attempts to stop its implementation will likely continue, rather use this time to do what is necessary to prepare your company for its inevitable implementation,” says Herbert.