The Portfolio Committee on Transport has heard that the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) regulations have been suspended for six months following a request from municipalities, which indicated that they were not ready to implement the regulations.
The Minister of Transport, Ms Barbara Creecy, led a Department of Transport delegation to Parliament yesterday, which included the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
The Minister noted that a 5% reduction in fatalities had been achieved during the 2025/2026 holiday season. However, she emphasised it is not up to the department to determine how reckless and dangerous drivers are punished.
The Minister acknowledged committee members’ frustrations with the uneven application of sanctions for such drivers. “Complexities around this matter are not subject to our control. They need persuasion and the exercise of a great deal of coordination. This is what we trying to do. We recognise that often law enforcement focuses on two issues at local government level: speeding and ensuring revenue collection.”
She also noted that she has tasked officials with investigating whether municipalities are ready to implement AARTO and said that a report will be released soon on the matter.
During the meeting’s question time, committee member Mr Mazwi Blose worried that inadequate punitive action is not a deterrent to poor driving habits. “The law enforcement agencies enable bad driver behaviour on the roads,” he stated. He also raised the problem of bribes being offered to traffic officers and those who drive without valid licences. “We are losing the battle … We are approaching Easter and we are going to be reporting the same thing. When does it end?” Mr Blose asked.
Minister Creecy proposed that the committee engages with those cities with the highest festive season death toll to ask what they are doing about road fatalities. She added that the department is investigating amending section 65 of the Act around alcohol testing and invited the committee to support this move. The Minister also noted that an alcohol ban had been proposed before, but the measure was not supported by the portfolio committee.
On the issue of scholar transport, the department would like to tighten regulations, and, in addition, all provinces must have a dedicated scholar transport register, Ms Creecy said.
In response to a question from the committee about the suspended CEO of the RTMC, Advocate Makhosini Msibi, Ms Creecy asked if she could give the committee her answer in writing.
Sibongile Maputi
4 February 2026
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