Outa confident ConCourt will uphold AARTO ruling
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse says it's confident the Constitutional Court will uphold the High Court's ruling that the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) be scrapped.
AARTO is a national demerit system created to deal with motorists who break the law, and penalties include drivers who are repeat offenders losing their licences.
In January, the High Court in Pretoria declared AARTO unconstitutional after Outa approached the courts.
The organisation argues that under the Act, the power to resolve transgressions is taken away from local municipalities and provinces.
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The Road Traffic Infringement Authority and the Transport Ministry appealed the ruling. They argue transgressors will be held accountable at national level and say profit is not the motive.
The Constitutional Court heard arguments on Tuesday.
"AARTO will have an enormous impact on local municipalities," says Outa’'s Stefanie Fick.
"Every time that there is an AARTO infringement, in other words, a minor offence - it should go through this administrative process. AARTO takes 50 percent, the rest is given to municipalities. So you can realise if a fine is for example, R800, municipalities previously got R800 now they only get R400."
