Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have decided to defer the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) to July 1, 2026.

The implementation was due to start on December 1.

The postponement comes amid an assessment by the Department of Transport (DoT) of the state of readiness in some of the municipalities that were to form part of the first implementation phase.

Some of the issues identified during the assessment, in the main, include, the finalisation of training of both law enforcement and back office personnel, and the harmonisation of current law enforcement system used by various municipalities, and funding thereof, the department explains in a statement.

The new system will see road users accrue demerit points for road traffic offences.

Within this long-delayed system, drivers can get 15 demerit points before their licences are suspended.

Demerits are awarded for a range of traffic offences, as described under the AARTO Act.

Drivers will be able to cut their demerit points through good behaviour.

The demerit system was meant to kick off in September 2024, Engineering News previously reported.  

The DoT says it will soon publish the new proclamation with new staggered implementation dates. The phased approach of implementation is expected to be maintained as initially envisaged.

The original plan was for the rollout to take place in 69 municipalities including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, with more municipalities to join the programme, while the full demerit enforcement programme was set to begin on September 1, 2026, Engineering News reported this year.