Checking truck drivers’ demerit points could cost fleets R11,200 a year

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HomeRegulationsChecking truck drivers’ demerit points could cost fleets R11,200 a year Regulations Checking truck drivers’ demerit points could cost fleets R11,200 a year By Skhumbuzo Masiko 9 minutes ago 0 10 Share FacebookXPinterestWhatsApp South African transport companies could face an additional compliance expense under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system, with fleet demerit-point enquiries potentially costing up to R11,200 annually.

The charges raise questions about who will carry the cost of monitoring professional drivers’ demerit-point records, particularly in an industry where companies have a responsibility to manage driver compliance and road safety.

The issue follows criticism of the AARTO regulations by Driving.co.za managing director Rob Handfield-Jones, who questioned why motorists must pay R60 every time they check their demerit-point balance.

Handfield-Jones made the comments in an interview with MyBroadband, arguing that checking a person’s demerit-point balance should be a free service because the cost to the RTIA is effectively negligible.

For an individual motorist, four enquiries a year would cost R240. However, the financial implications could be considerably higher for transport operators managing large fleets.

Fleets with more than 100 vehicles could face an annual fee of R11,200 for fleet demerit-point enquiries, according to the fee schedule published in the 2026 AARTO Regulations.

The prescribed fleet fees are R2,000 annually for fleets of 2 to 20 vehicles, R4,000 for 21 to 40 vehicles, R6,000 for 41 to 60 vehicles, R9,600 for 61 to 100 vehicles and R11,200 for the largest fleet category.

The charges raise an important question for the road freight industry: will transport companies absorb the cost of monitoring their drivers, or will some expect employees to pay for their own demerit-point checks?

Employers cannot simply access their employees’ demerit-point records without permission. Regulation 21 requires written permission from an employee before an employer can request this information. The process uses Form AARTO 27, with the RTIA providing the information through Form AARTO 28.

This means transport companies will need to consider how they obtain and manage drivers’ consent when introducing regular demerit-point monitoring as part of their fleet compliance procedures.

Despite the publication of the fees, truck drivers are not yet accumulating demerit points under the new AARTO system.

The rollout of AARTO infringement administration began in 62 municipalities on 1 July 2026, with further expansion planned. The demerit-point component is scheduled for a later implementation phase.

For now, the prescribed fees provide an indication of what motorists and transport operators could pay once the demerit-point information service becomes operational.

The bigger question for the road freight industry is whether monitoring drivers’ demerit-point records will become another operating cost that transport companies must absorb, or an expense passed down to individual drivers.