Good news about petrol prices, end of an era for traffic fines, and Joburg cracks down on WeBuyCars and Engen

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Good news about petrol and diesel prices

The fuel price adjustments for July 2026 have continued to improve, pointing to a sizeable reduction for motorists next month.

This is based on new mid-month data from the Central Energy Fund, which indicates that the price of both petrol and diesel will experience an over-recovery.

Petrol is now expected to drop by R2.77 per litre, while diesel is looking at an even stronger recovery of R4.76 per litre.

End of an era for traffic fines in South Africa

South Africa has less than a month to go until the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) is introduced nationwide.

AARTO will make fundamental changes to South Africa’s traffic laws, introducing a new system for issuing and processing traffic fines for various infringements.

The new laws were previously scheduled to launch on 1 December 2025, but this date has since been moved to 1 July 2026.

Motorists shouldn’t buy these cars in South Africa – According to the AA

Motorists in South Africa should avoid vehicles that do not achieve a minimum of a three-star NCAP safety rating.

This is the view of the CEO of the Automobile Association (AA), Bobby Ramagwede, who recently spoke to TopAuto about the poor safety standards for entry-level cars in South Africa.

These comments were made after the AA published its latest crash test results, which found that the entry-level Kia Sonet and Haval Jolion received one- and two-star adult safety ratings, respectively.

Johannesburg cracks down on Engen, WeBuyCars, and Jeep

The City of Johannesburg has been removing illegally erected advertising billboards throughout the city, including those of prominent companies WeBuyCars, Jeep, and Engen.

The removals, coordinated by the Joburg Property Company (JPC), in partnership with City Power and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), have been implemented for months.

However, these efforts have since escalated significantly, forming part of a widespread revenue-recovery and compliance drive.

Transport Department goes to court to avoid paying foreign nationals R390 million

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) currently owes undocumented foreign nationals R390 million in outstanding claims, which it has been mandated to pay by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The ruling allows undocumented foreign nationals to claim compensation from the fund. This comes after the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria struck down the RAF directive that requires foreign nationals to prove their legal presence in South Africa at the time of injury when claiming compensation.

The Department of Transport has since opted to challenge the decision and is appealing the Supreme Court’s ruling.