New AARTO launch date set

THE national launch date for the Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) has been pushed back to December 2025, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) confirmed.

- JASON WOOSEY

RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi confirmed that 69 municipalities throughout the country's nine provinces will implement the AARTO system from the start of December, with the remaining municipalities set to follow in 2026.

This follows a week after a previous announcement that the launch would take place in October.

However, the controversial demerit points system that is the core feature of AARTO will only come into effect from September 2026 when the new enforcement framework enters its fourth and final phase, Mkalipi confirmed.

The RTIA said service outlets had been created across the country and over 25 000 traffic officers were currently being trained to implement the new system.