Demerit system ready for 2010

Johannesburg, 13 Jul 2009

All problems highlighted by the pilot project for the driver's licence point demerit system will be addressed, but eNatis is not one of the concerns, say road traffic officials.

This follows an announcement by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) that the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) point demerit system will be officially implemented throughout the country in 2010.

“With regards to eNatis, it is functioning 100%. We continue to monitor and improve the applicable systems in order to eliminate some shortcomings and to streamline and expedite the total process,” says the RTMC.

The pilot was first put into practice in Tshwane in July 2008 and rolled out in Johannesburg in February 2009. Aarto is facilitated by the RTMC, to ensure the proper and effective functioning of its systems and processes, with law enforcement being the key focus.

The RTMC says the main objective of the pilot was to test the applicable systems, forms, processes and procedures, and to assess their impact on operations. The results of the pilot would then be used to assess the efficacy of all systems, identify weaknesses and enhance them - prior to engaging the national roll-out.

Issues of concern

While the pilot has not been concluded, the RTMC says it has identified several problems with Aarto in the last few months. It highlighted issues within law enforcement and systems and procedure, which existed before Aarto was launched. The RTMC says lack of infrastructure, electronic and physical enforcement, office administrative resources, skills development and training of authorised officers are some key areas of concern.

According to the RTMC, while the performance of systems was a major worry, there are no concerns with eNatis. It says, although the Tshwane pilot got off to a slow start, the process has now been greatly improved. Technical systems-related challenges, such as communication between the local municipal contravention management systems and eNatis at national level, have now been resolved, it adds.

The RTMC believes its preparations have paid off. It adds that the development of a detailed business process analysis and operational plan, in support of the daily duties and functions and overall requirements of the National Contraventions Register of eNatis, helped improve processes.

The RTMC also praised its eForce project, saying it will allow traffic officers to work speedily. The project will provide traffic officers with wireless, handheld pocket computers for continuous electronic access to eNatis from the roadside. The officers can record traffic violations electronically, issue fines and have access to real-time information on the road and transfer the information to eNatis in real-time.