South Africa’s new traffic laws get the green light despite opposition

President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved the commencement of South Africa’s new traffic fines system – the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act – despite widespread opposition.

The Department of Transport (DoT) published the proclamation announcing the nationwide rollout of the Act, 28 years after it was first introduced.

In the proclamation, the president declared tomorrow, 1 July 2026, the date on which sections 17, 18, 19, 19A, 19B, 20, 23, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 of the Act will come into operation.

These relate to the operational, administrative, and legal framework of the AARTO system, as well as the implementation of the demerit points system.

Included in these are sections associated with infringement notices, written representation, courtesy letters, payments, and enforcement orders – all related to the issuance of fines, payments and processes for those who fail to comply.

Section 23 covers scenarios in which the driver commits a criminal and an administrative traffic infringement, aiming to ensure correct jurisdictional routing, while Section 29 relates to the AARTO Appeals Tribunal and the categorisation of offences.

It empowers the Transport Minister to classify traffic violations as minor or major infringements, criminal offences, and to assign demerit points.

Sections 30 to 35 cover the general rules, administration, and the legally binding nature of the administrative fines under the AARTO Act.

The notice included a full list of the 62 municipalities where AARTO will roll out tomorrow, reduced from an initial 69. All of these are listed below.

AARTO facing fierce opposition

Following the South African Local Government Association’s (SALGA’s) urgent High Court application to stop the launch of the country’s new traffic laws, OUTA has called on the department to clarify its readiness.

SALGA sought to block implementation due to concerns about AARTO’s funding model, highlighting that many municipalities in South Africa are already operating in an increasingly constrained fiscal environment.

Now, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse is calling on the department and the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) to urgently publish a comprehensive readiness report.

“Without these regulations, the legal and operational framework required to support implementation remains incomplete,” it said.

OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage condemned the way the government has gone about implementing the Act.

“The government has spent well over a decade trying to implement AARTO,” explained Duvenage.

“Deadlines have come and gone, implementation dates have shifted, and each new deadline still brings the same uncertainty, poor communication, and unanswered questions. South Africans deserve certainty, not confusion.”

He added that the government cannot keep telling South Africans that AARTO is ready while municipalities are heading to court, noting that a key partner – the South African Post Office – remains in business rescue.

“If one of the fundamental pillars of the AARTO system depends on an institution that is itself struggling to remain operational, government must explain how it intends to ensure that the system functions fairly, efficiently and lawfully,” said Duvenage.

OUTA argues that local road safety requires better enforcement, not more administration, blaming the country’s high road fatality rate on weak traffic law enforcement, corruption within the environment, poor road infrastructure, dangerous driving, and the lack of consistent consequences for offenders.

Duvenage declared that road safety depends on visible policing, effective law enforcement and consistent prosecution.

“Unless the government can demonstrate that AARTO will materially improve road safety, it remains difficult to justify the enormous administrative burden and cost it places on municipalities, businesses and motorists,” he added.

OUTA maintains that the decade-long AARTO pilot in Johannesburg and Tshwane failed to produce convincing evidence that the system improved road safety.

“The legislation may be in place, but the regulatory framework required to support the July 2026 rollout is still incomplete,” it said.

Duvenage noted that while South Africans want safer roads, they also want traffic laws that are enforced fairly and consistently.

“What they do not want is another rushed administrative system introduced without proper planning, consultation, and transparency,” he said.

“If government cannot demonstrate that it is genuinely ready, it should not proceed.”​