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Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says that the behavior of taxi drivers on the road, showing blatant disregard for the law and the rights of other road users, remains a widespread problem.
Speaking at the launch of a lekgotla taxi on Friday (September 11), he said it was an ‘open secret’ that self-regulation in this regard had failed.
“The discussions should seriously consider a sanctions regime, which may, among others, include a form of demerit system similar to (the) Administrative adjudication of traffic offenses (Aarto),” he said.
“Poor customer service and traveler safety continue to characterize the industry’s operations. By building a customer-centric spirit, the rights and interests of passengers and other road users must always underpin the future taxi industry that we want to build. “
In June, the Department of Transportation said it had delayed the date of national implementation of the Aarto Law due to the coronavirus.
The law was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in August 2019 and, although no date was officially enacted, it was destined to It will go into effect nationally in mid-2020.
“The impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has seriously compromised the capacity of the Traffic Infractions Agency (RTIA), which is the entity responsible for the implementation of Aarto, as well as other prerequisites that determine the implementation date and has given lead to a serious loss of revenue to support preparatory activities, ”the department said.
“For this reason, RTIA is not in a position at this stage to successfully carry out the national deployment of Aarto. The situation will be reviewed in due course for further determination of when the launch date will be enacted. “
The government hopes to improve driving on the country’s highways by introducing the new Law on Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Violations (Aarto).
The law will do this by introducing a new demerit system for South African drivers, which is expected to fundamentally change driving in the country.
Depending on the severity of the infraction, points are assigned for infractions. If an offender passes a point threshold, it will result in disqualification of the driver’s license and three suspensions will result in cancellation.
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