Drakenstein Municipality this week said it has not been identified as one of the initial 69 municipalities selected for the rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act from October this year.
The municipality, however, said that it will comply with the Act when the time comes, and that public awareness campaigns have already began across the municipality.
This follows an announcement by the National Transport Department that October will be the new date for the national rollout of AARTO in 69 municipalities.
The aim of the Act is not only to penalise with fines, but also to link behaviour directly to licence status, so that habitual offenders will face real consequences.
IOL reports that Transport Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa during the department’s budget vote debate in Parliament last week said that while 69 municipalities will be ready to implement AARTO, 144 were not yet ready.
“The AARTO system will be rolled out in different phases according to municipal readiness from October 1, 2025, for the 69 municipalities, which are ready for the rollout,” Hlengwa said.
“This is Phase 2 of the AARTO rollout programme, while Phase 3 will be rolled out on February 1, 2026, for the 144 municipalities that will only be ready then,” he added.
The AARTO Act was confirmed as constitutional by the apex court, and the department intends to use it to change the behaviour of motorists.
The system is currently only operational in the Johannesburg and Tshwane Metros.
Drakenstein Municipality’s Head of Traffic Services Japie Cornelissen, this week said though the municipality is not one of the first 69 identified to implement the system from October, it plans to abide by the Act when the time comes.
“I can confirm that AARTO is national legislation, and that Drakenstein Traffic Services remain fully committed to compliance.
“The Act aims to promote safer roads by encouraging better driver behaviour and stricter adherence to traffic laws.
“Violators will face clear consequences for unlawful transgressions.
“Ahead of the implementation date, a comprehensive media and public awareness campaign will be launched. In addition, Drakenstein Traffic Services have already begun sensitising the public through outreach programmes in shopping centres, taxi ranks, factories, schools and other key locations.
“Importantly, Drakenstein is one of the few municipalities in the Western Cape with an AARTO service outlet, located at our Traffic Services offices in Berg River Boulevard, Paarl. This provides an accessible platform for residents to make AARTO-related enquiries and to better understand the new processes,” Cornelissen said.
In explaining the Act, IOL reports that every motorist begins with zero demerit points on their driving licence, with different demerit points prescribed for various offences.
If a total of 15 points is exceeded, the licence will be suspended for three months for each point over this threshold. These rules also apply to vehicle operator cards.
More than two suspensions will lead to the licence being cancelled altogether, and the driver will then need to redo the entire licensing process, starting with a learner’s licence.
Minor speeding infringements will result in the loss of one to two demerit points, while disobeying a stop sign or traffic lights, or missing one number plate, will see two points being deducted.
