September 2023 | BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA
WWW.BUSINESSFLEETAFRICA.CO.ZA
being able to pay their fines more easily
and quickly, customers are far less likely
to incur penalties. This convenience will
benefit large fleets with thousands of
vehicles, or a small family with one or
two vehicles.
Depending on the severity of the
charge, the platform offers the option
to present legal representation for
serious non-payable fines. A legal team
is ready to assist with court appearances
on behalf of clients for all fines types,
especially serious offences.
This solution helps Standard Bank
comply with regulatory requirements for
the reporting of suspicious and unusual
transactions. By providing a centralised
platform for customers to manage vehi-
cles, Standard Bank can ensure transpar-
ency and accountability in the payment
process for fines, licensing, registrations
and all vehicle-related costs.
The solution is expected to have a
significant impact on the way Standard
Bank clients manage their fleet’s fines
and licenses, while saving the bank
millions of rands in administrative costs
each year.
AARTO ready
More than a year after its planned imple-
mentation was ruled unconstitutional,
AARTO (Administrative Adjudication of
Road Traffic Offences) is back on the
cards. This after the Constitutional Court
overturned the High Court’s ruling that
found the AARTO Act to be invalid and
unconstitutional.
“This new judgement has made it
even more important for Standard Bank
to have an effective fines management
solution in place,” adds de Vries.
Enacted in 1998, the AARTO
Act is managed by the Road Traffic
Management Corporation (RTMC), a
public entity under the Department of
Transport. It introduces a points-demerit
system for violations of traffic law. The
AARTO Act aims to create a safer driving
environment for all road users.
A study conducted by the NIH on
Italian drivers found that demerit
systems effectively encourage drivers
to adhere to the law and increase road
safety. Another study published on
ResearchGate found a 15–20% initial
reduction in crashes, fatalities, and
injuries.
In South Africa, the AARTO Act differs
entirely from the Criminal Procedure
Act, which has been and still is used
to adjudicate road traffic offences
everywhere in South Africa except
Johannesburg and Tshwane.
AARTO’s functions are to act as
an administrative alternative to the
Criminal Procedure, to ensure more
efficient collection of fine amounts, an
“administrative arbiter” between al-
leged infringers and issuing authorities
that will administer the points-demerit
system as a mode of administrative en-
forcement as an alternative to criminal
prosecution.
Traffic infringements will result
in points being allocated to a private
driver’s licence, and on reaching 12
points, the licence is suspended. If no
infringements occur within a three-
month period, a point will be deducted.
If a licence is suspended three times, it
is permanently revoked. Similiarly, fleet
vehicles will also incur demerit points,
and can be blocked from operating.
Furthermore, AARTO introduces
a number of new fines and penalties,
and it also makes it more difficult for
motorists to avoid paying their fines.
The impact of the AARTO Act is likely to
increase demand for fine management
solutions. The Standard Bank-IOX Fleet
Services solution is well-positioned to
meet this demand because the platform
combines fines, licensing and overall
fleet compliance management into a
one-stop solution.
With the fines management solution
in place, Standard Bank customers can
easily manage their traffic fines and
avoid accumulating demerit points
that could lead to the suspension or
cancellation of their licence or vehicles.
The solution provides motorists or
fleet-operators with a variety of ways to
settle or redirect their fines, and it also
helps them stay informed about their
outstanding fines.
In addition, Standard Bank’s fine
management solution with IOX Fleet
Services can help reduce the number
of outstanding fines, which can free up
resources for other purposes. It can help
improve road safety by encouraging
motorists to pay their fines on time, and
it can help improve the efficiency of the
fine collection process.
“Overall, the Standard Bank-IOX
Fleet Services solution is a valuable
tool for managing traffic fines in South
Africa. It is a win-win for both motorists
and South Africa’s traffic fine-issuing
authorities,” concludes de Vries. BFA