AARTO set for October 2025 - is South Africa ready?

After years of delays and false starts and additional doubt created by recent fake news, many South Africans may have pushed preparation for the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act aside. During the budget speech of the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, another implementation date was set for 1 October 2025.

Phase two will start by being implemented in 69 municipalities with the third phase to start in February 2026. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says: “Should plans for this implementation date remain on track, we remain optimistic that the latest iteration of the Act will finally bring the focus to where it belongs – road safety.

“Research and examples from across the world demonstrate that demerit point systems have the potential to significantly reduce road fatality statistics. When properly implemented, AARTO could serve as a crucial tool in changing driver behaviour and creating a culture of accountability on South African roads.”

Corporate fleet readiness

As a large percentage of vehicles on the roads are company-owned, the business sector faces significant challenges in preparing for AARTO implementation if not started already. “The repeated false starts may have made organisations hesitant to allocate resources to AARTO compliance.

“By October, however, organisations in affected municipalities should have driver management systems, relevant training programmes, and administrative processes to handle the complexities of AARTO in place. This raises the question of how many South African businesses will be ready should the government remain true to their word?”

Additionally, concerns about corruption affecting AARTO, like it has current traffic legislation, still raise concern about the law’s integrity. “Businesses consequently need to identify how their organisation will handle this should they encounter corruption.

“Rather than protesting AARTO by refusing to prepare due to corruption concerns, there should be well-established mechanisms from day one to manage this. A lack of preparation is not an effective way to protest but will further reduce your ability to adapt should the implementation date remain on track.”

While the October 2025 date may represent another milestone in AARTO’s complicated journey, the real test will be in the execution, including each organisation’s preparedness. “As we approach this new implementation date, it’s crucial that all organisations are ready to play their role in helping AARTO achieve its primary objective: safer roads for all.

“MasterDrive has not lost focus in helping organisations ready for implementation even when there was no set date. Should your organisation need assistance preparing for AARTO, we are equipped and ready to assist in your preparation and ensure you are not left off-guard upon implementation,” says Herbert.