South Africa’s much-anticipated Aarto Amendment Bill, which aims to transform the country’s driving laws, remains in neutral as authorities grapple with delays, legal hurdles and technical issues.

The amended law was designed to introduce a fault-based system across the country, but it has faced a slow and bumpy journey towards implementation, leaving drivers, experts and councils questioning whether the law will ever hit the road altogether.

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) said it is working with the Department of Transport (DoT) to complete all the necessary documentation. Once these are approved, the final approval will come from the Presidency, which will determine the official launch date.

Despite these preparations, the journey to make Aarto a national standard has been fraught with setbacks, with some predicting delays until 2025.

Alongside public education campaigns, RTIA began building a base for Aarto with 40 service locations across South Africa.

They are also working with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to synchronize systems like eNatis for smoother implementation.

Despite these efforts, insiders say this may be too ambitious, and logistical and operational issues have not yet been resolved.

Accordingly BusinessTechniqueCritics noted that Aarto’s pilot phase in Johannesburg and Tshwane had minimal impact in reducing road injuries or deaths.

As it stands now, Aarto’s future looks uncertain. Until these issues are resolved, locals may have to wait to see if Aarto can really make a difference.

Main image courtesy of iStock