AARTO Act: Withdrawal of Regulatory Amendments

Posted 31 October 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Transport

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Transport has withdrawn the latest set of amendments to regulations under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, No. 46 of 1998 (AARTO).

In terms of a notice gazetted on 1 December 2025, the Department has formally withdrawn the regulatory amendments that were intended to facilitate the phased operationalisation of the AARTO Act. The withdrawal is backdated to 28 November 2025. This development follows the initial gazetting of amendments which were expected to coincide with the commencement of new implementation phases on 1 December 2025.

The withdrawal means that the anticipated regulatory changes regarding the administrative adjudication of traffic offences and the associated demerit system are not currently in effect. Professionals should note that an updated, consolidated set of the Act’s regulations remains unavailable to the public following this withdrawal.

Click here to download the Withdrawal Notice.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: You must continue to adhere to existing traffic law enforcement protocols, as the anticipated shift to the amended AARTO regulatory framework has been suspended.
  • For your business: Fleet managers and compliance officers must update their regulatory roadmaps to reflect that the 1 December 2025 amendments are no longer in force, ensuring that internal disciplinary or compliance policies are not updated prematurely based on withdrawn regulations.
  • For your clients: Advise clients in the transport, logistics, and insurance sectors that the legal status of the AARTO rollout has changed due to the backdated withdrawal, and they should maintain compliance with the current standing regulations until further notice is gazetted.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/aarto-act-latest-regulatory-amendments-gazetted

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