We're ready, says traffic fine body

AGENCY: DRIVERS WARNED OF OFFERING ANY PAYMENTS

- Sipho Mabena

Despite growing concerns over corruption, confusion and weak enforcement, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) says it is ready for the national roll-out of the contentious Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act.

Aarto is a system for handling traffic violations and includes a points demerit system that can lead to licence suspension or cancellation for repeat offenders, and a centralised digital platform for managing traffic fines. It will be rolled out nationally, starting in December.

The agency has ramped up preparations to ensure a smoother transition when the system goes live, with readiness efforts focused on training traffic officers, back-office administrators and cashiers.

The preparation phase also includes providing computer equipment to issuing authorities, connecting all enforcement bodies to the National Administration Traffic Information System (NaTIS), as well as printing and delivering the required stationery and notices.

The roll-out comes after years of legal delays and two pilot projects in Tshwane and Johannesburg, with RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi saying lessons from those pilots prompted major amendments to the Act.