The Department of Transport has gazetted new commencement dates for the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AATRO), including a September 2026 launch for the driving demerit system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The announcement was made in the national government gazette, whereby different sections of the Act will come into effect between December 2025 and September 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AARTO system has been operating in metros like Johannesburg and Tshwane for years, but the government has long-held plans to roll the system out nationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rollout has been beset with delays, however, even though the system got the go-ahead from South Africa’s apex court after legal challenges on Constitutional grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
False news stories carried by mainstream publications created confusion in the past few months, repeating claims that the scheme would roll out in July 2025\u2014despite the department dismissing these claims days before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further confusion was created when the purported launch date was then changed to October 2025, before the transport department and the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) finally announced a projected date of 1 December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest gazette brings final clarity to the matter, with 1 December and 1 April being the commencement of sections related to the rollout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the department, sections 17, 18, 19, 19A, 19B, 20, 23, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34 and 35 will commence in two waves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, from 1 December 2025 in 69 metros and municipalities. This will be followed with commencement from 1 April 2026 in 144 other municipalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sections relate to the general rollout of the system, outlining the processes for infringement notices and penalties and other regulations that give effect to the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notably, the sections enabling the driving demerit system will only commence from 1 September 2026, but this will be nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This system will allocate demerit points for traffic infringements, leading to licence suspensions or cancellations if drivers accumulate too many points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The full list of municipalities for the AARTO launch can be seen in the documents below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n