Jul 30, 2026 MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, Martle Keyter, Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO), Fines4U, Cornelia Van Niekerk,
No more excuses! AARTO makes fines unavoidable
MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, warns motorists to take the recent rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system across 62 municipalities serious as there are no more excuses from road traffic fine enforcements.
Under the AARTO regulations, fines are now considered delivered 10 days after issued, regardless of whether the motorist has physically received them. Delivery can occur via SMS, email, WhatsApp, or even social media platforms such as Facebook. According to the South African Post Office (SAPO) it will use e-mails to deliver notices.
Cornelia Van Niekerk, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fines4U, explained during a recent MISATv interview that you simply cannot say that you did not receive the fine. “There is a very important part in the Act that says, it’s considered delivered 10 days after it has been delivered. Whether you received it or not. With the new regulations they do not have to send it out through registered mail. They can email it to you, they can SMS it to you, they can WhatsApp it to you, they can even send you a message on social media on your Facebook account.”
This means motorists can no longer hide behind the excuse of non-delivery. Old fines remain applicable and must be paid, while failure to act can result in demerit points, suspension or even cancellation of a driver’s licence. Once a motorist accumulates 15 points, the only way to recover is to avoid further infringements.
Van Niekerk made history in 2017 with a court ruling in her favor declaring that millions of unlawful Gauteng traffic fines issued since 2008 must be scrapped because authorities failed to follow correct AARTO notification periods.
Martle Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, says the goal of AARTO is to make motorists responsible for their driver behaviour. The system takes the burden off the courts and places it on drivers and fleet managers, who must ensure that all infringement notices are dealt with quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly.
MISA earlier urged its more than 79 000 members in the retail motor industry to familiarise themselves with AARTO to prevent potential disciplinary action or even dismissal if their driver’s licenses are suspended. Keyter cautioned motorists to be vigilant against cloned licence plates, which can lead to wrongful penalties and to avoid fake payment websites. The safest course is to settle fines promptly, as outstanding infringements can affect licence renewals and place significant restrictions on driving privileges.
“AARTO leaves no room for excuses. Motorists must drive responsibly, keep their vehicles roadworthy and monitor all infringement notices to protect their licences and ensure safer roads for all.”
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