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City of Cape Town is better off without Aarto Act, says JP Smith

Local government official JP Smith says the Act in its current guise could spell bad news for government and motorists.

The City of Cape Town plans to oppose the implementation of the controversial Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act.

The new Act, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law, will see the implementation of a demerit system that could see drivers losing their licence in the event they accumulate too many demerit points.

The City and the Western Cape government are joining forces to fight the Act in their area of jurisdiction.

The City's mayco member for safety and security JP Smith, says local and provincial governments are prepared to go to court to prove the deficiencies within the Arto system.

Smith says the technical and administrative process behind the legislation does not inspire confidence.

Not a single point demerit system has been recorded to date and there are numerous deficiencies with the Aarto process, including the technical systems on which it rests.
JP Smith, Mayoral committee member - Safety and security at City of Cape Town

According to Smith, Aarto pilot phases implemented in Tshwane and Johannesburg have failed to reduce road fatalities in Gauteng.

Their road traffic accident figures and death toll have increased steadily. Whereas Cape Town, where Aarto has not been applied, has been able to stabilise or reduce.
JP Smith, Mayoral committee member - Safety and security at City of Cape Town

At this stage, we are better off without Aarto until they fix all those issues. We don't believe that it's ready to implement.
JP Smith, Mayoral committee member - Safety and security at City of Cape Town

Listen to the discussion on Today with Kieno Kammies:

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