The Road Traffic Infringement Agency has launched an Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) Service Outlet in Mpumalanga. It’s the first to be established outside Gauteng.
The system is to be implemented nationwide in July next year.
Agency spokesperson Monde Mkaliphi says AARTO is a new intervention to ensure road safety. It includes a points demerit system and a person’s licence could be suspended after a certain number of infringements.
Outlets are to be established at Mbombela Licensing services, Barberton, Secunda as well as at the Dr JS Moroka and Emalahleni Municipalities.
Mkaliphi says AARTO has many benefits.
“Road users need to understand what their rights are in terms of the old legislation which governs road violations, the intention was to make sure that road users pay their fines. But AARTO will provide all sorts of benefits in terms of having options if you pay your traffic fine within 32 days you are entitled to a 50% discount and secondly if your traffic fine exceeds R750 you can pay in instalments.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed AARTO into law in August 2019, aimed at improving road user behaviour for the country.
Traffic volumes
Meanwhile, there were traffic volumes on the N4 toll route between Pretoria and Malalane, Mpumalanga and other public roads across the province. This as motorists are heading home for the festive season.
Some motorists were crossing into Mozambique through the Lebombo border and through Oshoek border into Eswatini.
Traffic volumes on the N4 and other national roads in the province increased drastically late on Friday. There were long queues at Lebombo border post on the lane of the heavyweight vehicles.
Some of the truck drivers have raised concerns that they spent several hours before they could cross into Mozambique.
Authorities have cautioned motorists to obey the traffic rules and regulations and avoid crashes. Community , Safety and Security spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Moeti Mmusi, says their traffic officers have been deployed on all major routes.
