South Africa’s new traffic laws, under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act, are here to stay, and the system leaves very little margin for error for motorists.
The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has warned motorists to take the rollout of the system to 62 municipalities seriously, as there are no more excuses for road traffic fine enforcement.
Under the new regulations, traffic fines are considered delivered 10 days after being issued, regardless of whether motorists physically receive them.
According to the South African Post Office (SAPO), notices can be delivered via SMS, email, WhatsApp, or even social media platforms such as Facebook.
Founder and CEO of Fines4U, Cornelia van Niekerk, declared that the days of motorists claiming they did not receive their fines are officially over.
“There is a very important part in the act that says it’s considered delivered 10 days after it has been delivered,” she explained in a MISATv interview.
This is because, under the new regulations, fines no longer need to be sent via registered mail and will be considered received if sent through other channels.
According to Van Niekerk, old fines also remain applicable and must be paid, as failure to do so may result in demerit points under the new act, and suspension or cancellation of a motorist’s driver’s licence.
MISA CEO of Operations, Martlé Keyter, added that the goal of the AARTO Act is to make motorists responsible for their own behaviour.
The new system aims to take the burden from courts and place it on drivers and fleet managers who must now ensure that all infringement notices are dealt with quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly.
Keyter warned motorists to remain vigilant and protect themselves against cloned licence plates, which can lead to wrongful penalties, and cautioned against fake payment websites.
“The safest course is to settle fines promptly, as outstanding infringements can affect licence renewals and place significant restrictions on driving privileges,” she said.
“AARTO leaves no room for excuses. Motorists must drive responsibly, keep their vehicles roadworthy and monitor all infringement notices to protect their licences and ensure safer roads for all.”
Nearly impossible for notices not to reach motorists
TopAuto reached out to the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) to find out what would happen should a motorist not receive their fine timeously.
The agency explained that it is near-impossible for traffic infringements not to reach the infringer, as the three methods of delivery – personal service, registered mail and electronic service – complement one another.
“With the existence of faster and more personal communication gadgets such as cellphones, road users can always receive alerts on outstanding traffic infringements in real time,” it said.
“The electronic service recently deployed by the South African Post Office makes it possible for the RTIA to detect if an AARTO document was delivered to the infringer.”
Motorists also have an obligation to check their AARTO status frequently to avoid the inconvenience caused by an enforcement order being issued.
Alongside this, every time a road user renews a driving permit or vehicle licence disc, it is mandatory that they update their contact details on the NaTIS system to ensure all records are accurate.
“It is important for motorists to update their details on the NaTIS to avoid a situation where they
fail to receive critical compliance vehicle use documents such as AARTO infringement notices,” the RTIA said.
Should the unlikely happen and motorists do not receive any of these notices, they can submit an AARTO 08 Representation form, available from the AARTO website, to the agency with supporting documents.
To avoid this situation, motorists are urged to verify the status of their fines or infringement notices by visiting the official RTIA platform.
Additionally, they can call the AARTO Call Centre on 086 122 7861, download the AARTO Mobile App, or visit their nearest AARTO Service Outlet.
When communicating with South Africa’s traffic enforcement systems, motorists have been warned to remain vigilant amid the rise in fraudulent websites posing as the AARTO platform.
“This follows a surge in reports of scams targeting motorists through SMS, WhatsApp messages, and cloned payment portals designed to look like legitimate government or municipal sites,” said the RTIA.
“RTIA will never ask you to ‘validate’ your banking details via a third-party link or a non-government website.”
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