Mbalula hails unpopular Aarto Bill as a victory in the battle against road deaths

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Sunday introduced the controversial new bill signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa this past Tuesday.

The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) is a measure to tackle South Africa’s high rate of road accidents and fatalities by way of a demerit system.

But The Citizen reported yesterday that the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) say the law infringes on drivers’ constitutional rights, would not improve road safety and could be used to force Gauteng motorists to pay e-tolls.

Mbalula, however, has hailed Aarto as “among the interventions to deal a decisive blow to lawlessness on our roads”.

“We have won an important battle, but the war on road fatalities is not yet over. Here is to many victories ahead, as we work together in ensuring safer roads, in this, our beloved South Africa!” he said on Twitter.

Speaking at an event on Sunday morning, Mbalula told an anecdote on why he feels the bill is needed.

“One of the telling stories is there was a taxi that came all the way from Venda in Limpopo, overloaded with about 17 people and some of the overloaded people were women, who were covered with blankets inside the taxi,” he said.

“This is what law enforcement officers get to see and confront on a daily basis”.

READ MORE: Aarto: Here are the problems and the rights you will lose

He added that a man who tried to bribe law enforcement officials with R60 rand was recently arrested.

“If you bribe you will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

While the bill has been slammed by various organisations, Mbalula said citizens who were told about the new law were “smart and welcoming. Our citizens want law enforcement on the roads,” he added.

“It’s just the beginning of things, that [if] you bribe you will be faced by the wrath of the law,” he said.

Mbalula also posted a clip of an official explaining the new system, the specifics of which are also detailed in this article.

The official clarified that the demerit system will not apply to infringements from before the bill was passed.

“Any outstanding infringements that have been issued under the current system will continue as they are, demerit points are not allocated then,” he said.

“But from such a given date that the minister would have determined, on that day, any infringement that you commit you will start the scale afresh,” he added.

We have won an important battle, but the war on road fatalities is not yet over. Here is to many victories ahead, as we work together in ensuring safer roads, in this, our beloved South Africa!

I thank you

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

Upon rolling it out throughout the country, we will be able to adiquately address the carnage on our roads. We are burying far too many people as a result of crashes. In 2018 alone, 12 thousand 9 hundred and 21 people lost their lives in road collisions in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/TF0WK6mfxq

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

I am proud to say that the AARTO Act is amongst one of the most engaged upon pieces of legislation. #FixingTransport pic.twitter.com/2hwWe8tZ4A

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

Recognising its signficance, the PCoT invited public comments on 3 separate occasions and also received submissions from various parties. The Bill was then approved by the National Assembly in 2017 and thereafter submitted to the National Council of Provinces. #FixingTransport

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— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

The NCoP deliberated on the Bill and submitted it to the 9 Provincial Legislatures, which then cascaded it further by engaging members of the public in various districts through public hearings, from 2017 to 2018. #FixingTransport pic.twitter.com/jmq7boMcMn

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

Today I introduced the law our President @CyrilRamaphosa signed, the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO).

Among the interventions to deal a decisive blow to lawlessness on our roads. I share with the nation on what this means.#FixingTransport pic.twitter.com/ogTYvHGdWq

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

I thanked our law enforcement officers for the job that they do and also spoke on the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO).#FixingTransport pic.twitter.com/xMtpqNweYq

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

Shared with our people the law our President @CyrilRamaphosa signed, the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO).#FixingTransport pic.twitter.com/zZ1roVkwVd

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

The DE-MERIT SYSTEM EXPLAINED https://t.co/lLo9FWsQC6 pic.twitter.com/vSKZrGXt5N

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 18, 2019

WATCH: Minister @MbalulaFikile speaking to South Africans on how AARTO is designed to turn around this state of affairs@MbalulaFikile @TrafficRTMC @RAF_SA @_ArriveAlive @mbindwane @SAgovnews @SANRAL_za @SABCnews @eNCA @GovernmentZA @rtia_aarto pic.twitter.com/d9ubOq6yYp

— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) August 18, 2019

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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