POLOKWANE – Polokwane residents will soon have to adjust to a new way of handling traffic fines and violations.

The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Amendment Act has been officially gazetted, with President Cyril Ramaphosa signing the proclamation on August 1.

According to the Government Gazette, the national rollout of Aarto will begin on December 1, 2025, in 69 municipalities across South Africa, including Polokwane.

Other municipalities in the first rollout phase include Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni, Durban, Mbombela, Bloemfontein, Qgeberha, Cape Town, and several others.

The remaining municipalities will follow on April 1, 2026.

The last phase of the Aarto Act, sections 24 to 27, which include the demerit points, is expected to take effect on September 1, 2026

For Polokwane motorists, this marks a major shift in road traffic management.

Instead of traffic violations being handled through criminal courts, Aarto introduces an administrative process that is expected to streamline fine adjudication and ease the pressure on the judicial system.

What happens when you get a traffic fine: 

• You’ll get an infringement notice instead of being taken to criminal court.
• The notice will show your details, offence, fine amount, discount (if paid within 28 days), and where to pay.
• You can:
  • Pay the fine (with discount if early),
  • Ask to pay in instalments,
  • Challenge the fine (make a representation),
  • Elect to go to court, or
  • Prove you weren’t the driver (by giving the actual driver’s details).
• If you ignore the notice, a courtesy letter will be sent, adding extra fees.
• Still don’t pay? An enforcement order follows. This can stop you from renewing your licence disc or driver’s licence until the fine and fees are paid.
• Every infringement is recorded on the national contraventions register, and demerit points are added against your name.
• You’ll be notified of how many points you’ve earned and how close you are to suspension.
• If you can prove you weren’t driving, the fine is cancelled and issued to the correct driver.
• Vehicle owners must make sure they know who is driving their car. Letting someone drive without taking their details can land you a fine or even jail time.

The demerit system explained:

The Aarto system introduces a demerit points structure:

• Every driver starts with zero points.
• Demerit points are allocated for specific traffic infringements, with serious offences attracting higher points.
• Drivers who accumulate more than 15 demerit points will have their licences suspended for three months for each point above the threshold.
• If a licence is suspended three times, it will be cancelled completely.
• Demerit points reduce by one point every three months if no further infringements are recorded.

With Polokwane included in the first phase of implementation, the city is set to become one of the testing grounds for whether Aarto will improve road safety and reduce reckless driving.

The Polokwane Review-Observer has approached the municipality for comment on the matter, including what measures are in place to ensure a smooth rollout.

For more breaking news follow us on Facebook Twitter Instagram or join our WhatsApp group