After years of delays and false starts and additional doubt created by recent fake news, many South Africans may have pushed preparation for the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act aside. The implementation date has now amended to December 2025.
The implementation dates of the next phases will likely be adjusted as well following the update to December. Eugene Herbert, CEO of MasterDrive, says: “Despite these changes, should plans for this implementation date remain on track for December, we remain optimistic that the latest iteration of the Act will finally bring the focus to where it belongs – road safety.
“Research and examples from across the world demonstrate that demerit point systems have the potential to significantly reduce road fatality statistics. When properly implemented, AARTO could serve as a crucial tool in changing driver behaviour and creating a culture of accountability on South African roads.”
As a large percentage of vehicles on the roads are company-owned, the business sector faces significant challenges in preparing for AARTO implementation if not started already. “The repeated false starts may have made organisations hesitant to allocate resources to AARTO compliance,” says Herbert.
“By December, however, organisations in affected municipalities should have driver management systems, relevant training programmes, and administrative processes to handle the complexities of AARTO in place. This raises the question of how many South African businesses will be ready should the government proceed as planned?”
Additionally, concerns about corruption affecting AARTO, like it has done to current traffic legislation, still raises concern about the law’s integrity. “Businesses consequently need to identify how their organisation will handle this should they encounter corruption.
“Rather than protesting AARTO by refusing to prepare due to corruption concerns, there should be well-established mechanisms from day one to manage this. A lack of preparation is not an effective way to protest but will further reduce your ability to adapt should the implementation date remain on track.”
While the December 2025 date may represent another milestone in AARTO’s complicated journey, the real test will be in the execution, including each organisation’s preparedness, Herbert adds. “As we approach this new implementation date, it’s crucial that all organisations are ready to play their role in helping AARTO achieve its primary objective: safer roads for all.
“Rather than see the December date as just another delay in a system that will never come to fruition, use this time wisely and start preparing. Whether it is implemented in December or not, your organisation can rest easy in the knowledge that it is prepared to not only meet legislative demands but is also an organisation that takes road safety seriously whether it is legislated or not.”