On August 1, 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed Proclamation 272, 273, and 274 of 2025, published in the Government Gazette 53099, officially gazetting the phased national rollout of the AARTO Amendment Act
Rollout Timeframes
– Phase 2 begins December 1, 2025, in 69 major municipalities, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, and Stellenbosch
– Phase 3 continues on April 1, 2026, covering the remaining 144 municipalities
– Phase 4, introducing the Points Demerit System, comes into effect on September 1, 2026
Key Features & Changes
– Decriminalisation of minor violations: Many traffic infringement cases will no longer go through the courts but will be handled administratively by the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA)
– Discount period: Infringers who pay within 32 days get a 50% discount on fines; after 64 days, outstanding cases may block licence renewals
– Demerit point rules: Drivers start with zero. Crossing 15 points leads to licence suspension for a minimum of three months per point over 15 points, more than two suspensions will result in cancellation, and a full retake is required.
– Demerit points reduce by 1 point every three months or by up to 4 points in the case of a successful rehabilitation program being undertaken
– Appeals Tribunal: A new independent tribunal will hear appeals, offering an administrative appeals process outside the court system.
Fines issued under AARTO do not prescribe
Importance for RMI Members
– Fleet operators and dealerships must prepare staff and systems for infringements being handled administratively rather than via courts. Included in this is the process to ensure that anyone driving a vehicle is known to the vehicle owner so that fines can be successfully redirected to the infringing driver otherwise the owner will have the demerits attached to the vehicle itself and the vehicle will have to be removed from the fleet/ use for the entirety of the vehicle suspension period.
– Employees relying on driving (e.g. drivers, service technicians) risk licence suspension or cancellation if demerit thresholds are exceeded—impacting livelihoods. Employers are advised to review and possibly revise contracts of employment and any vehicle policies to cater for AARTO provisions.
– Demerit points are only going to be made available to the driver at a cost of R60 per request and may take upwards of 5 working days to receive a report. Entities linked to the RTMC will be able to however request a licence status for free with an immediate system response being “active”, “suspended” or “terminated”.
– Education and communication to employees and customers is essential—knowing timelines, implications, and appeal procedures.
Regards,
Julian Pillay
Director: Quality, standards and regulatory compliance
