The Automobile Association (AA) says government is adding what it calls – a stealth tax to the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO), with the introduction of a so-called Infringement Penalty Levy.
The AA says the regulations imply the imposition of a tax on top of traffic fines. The association also criticised the complicated systems for motorists to check the status of their demerit points, and the lack of an easy online system for making inquiries.
Motorists would be required to pay up to R240 to check the status of their demerit points. AA Spokesperson, Layton Beard, says the amendments are unclear.
“One of the things that we are quite critical of is that the legislation is quite unclear or the draft amendments are quite unclear and are open to interpretation. Our view is that if you are going to release draft regulations, make them as clear as possible so that people understand immediately what the legislation is intended to prove. So there is some confusion to it, but on our interpretation is it is up to R240 if you want to have a look at what your points demerit balance are. Bearing in mind as well that the balance is now 15 and not 12 as originally planned,” says Layton Beard.
