Truck operators will need to get Aarto-aware

South African truck operators will
have to up their game when the
new Administrative Adjudication
of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) is
implemented.
According to Gavin Kelly of the
Road Freight Association, operators
will have to know at all times who
is driving their fleet vehicles as the
legislation gives only one chance to
identify the driver of a specific vehicle
before they seize that vehicle should it
have reached its point limit.
“You also need to know the status
of each vehicle in your fleet and
that includes all the trailers as well.
A truck and trailer is considered to
be two vehicles and they are fined
separately. In some areas there are
three combinations being run. We also
swop our combinations at times, so
you may have a scenario where two of
the combinations are fine, but one is in
penalty and the entire combination is
then fined and the driver penalised.”
Kelly said Aarto would hurt business
where it hurts most – the wallet – as
the system was not based on a criminal
system.
“What Aarto will do is cancel
operating licences and place blocks
on toll roads to stop you entering. It is
based on a revenue-generated system
not a criminal procedure system, so
they not going to come and arrest your
fleet manager, they will just stop you
doing business,” he said.