The implementation of a demerit point system for driving offences would help change South Africa’s driving culture for the better, Parliament’s portfolio committee on transport has heard.<\/p>\n
The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Amendment Bill would change the traffic department’s ability to charge offenders, transport law expert Alta Swanepoel told the committee on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“AARTO can be a very effective system and is designed to handle charging people in large volumes,” Swanepoel said.<\/p>\n
“Our criminal system is not working for bulk charge of traffic offenders. The existing system is not designed to manage 400 or 500 per court roll, per day.<\/p>\n
“AARTO can address this and a demerit point system will assist with changing driving behaviour,” Swanepoel added.<\/p>\n
The committee sat on Tuesday to hear public submissions to the draft AARTO Amendment Bill.<\/p>\n
Centralised system<\/strong><\/p>\n Swanepoel said the core of the bill would be to create one centralised mechanism to monitor and charge road traffic offences.<\/p>\n The system is currently “fragmented”, she said. Wording and definitions of the bill would also need to be tightened.<\/p>\n The new bill would include charging offenders driving foreign-owned cars, she said, adding that South Africa’s laws lagged behind those of its SADC neighbours in this regard.<\/p>\n “If you’re found guilty of a traffic offence in many of our neighbouring countries, you get charged immediately.<\/p>\n “Our legislation would not be doing anything different to other countries in the region.”<\/p>\n In answering an MP’s question, Swanepoel said if offenders were not formally charged within 40 days, the charge would fall away to clear up backlog.<\/p>\n The committee was also expected to hear from financiers SA Taxi, IT project specialists Tasima and the Justice Project SA on Tuesday.<\/p>\n News24<\/a><\/p>\n These cars are now also exempt from paying e-tolls<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on motoring<\/h3>\n