Aarto not yet delayed says Department of Transport

The Department of Transport wishes to confirm that media reports stating that the “national rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act and the long awaited commencement of the points-demerit system that goes with it, which was supposed to happen on or by 1 April 2011 has again been delayed…,” are untrue.

These reports are attributed to Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) and contained in a media release issued earlier today (2 March 2011) by JPSA National Chairman, Mr. Howard Dembovsky.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele is still to announce a date for the national roll-out of AARTO and the Minister has not announced any date as yet. Once the Minister is fully satisfied that the national roll-out of AARTO may proceed, a date will be announced accordingly in due course. The national roll-out of AARTO during 2010 was postponed based on representations that the Minister received from various sectors, including certain provinces, municipalities and organized labour, requesting for a postponement. The roll-out of AARTO is envisaged during the new financial year, which commences on 1 April 2011 and ends on 31 March 2012.

Over the past few months, the Department of Transport, Road Traffic Management Corporation and other stakeholders have been working all out to ensure that all outstanding issues for the national implementation of AARTO are resolved.

At the three-day Transport Lekgotla held in Cape Town last week (24 to 26 February 2011), Minister Ndebele reiterated that the Department of Transport is ensuring that we expedite the establishment of structures and process for the national roll-out of AARTO.

View the Justice Project Media Release:

Justice Project SA comments on postponement of Aarto