New law's demerit system for drivers delayed due to Covid-19: department

02 June 2020 - 16:30 By TimesLIVE
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The implementation of the new Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The implementation of the new Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Image: TimesLIVE

The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act - which among other things puts in place a points demerit system for SA's drivers - has been delayed due to Covid-19.

In a statement on Tuesday, the transport department said the act was meant to take effect by "mid-2020", after it was signed into law in August 2019. However, this will no longer be the case.

"The impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has severely compromised the capacity of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA), which is the entity responsible for the rollout of Aarto, as well as other prerequisites determining the rollout date, and has resulted in a severe loss of revenue to support the preparatory activities," said the department.

"For this reason, RTIA is in no position at this stage to successfully conduct the national rollout of Aarto.

"The situation will be reviewed in due course for further determination as to when the rollout date will be promulgated."


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