Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 24-03-2017

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) says its refining the initial demerit proposal to ensure everyone who’s guilty of a traffic offence in the country is treated equally.

Parliament yesterday heard that government is looking to tighten a proposed demerit system for errant drivers to include learner drivers and foreigners.

The demerit system forms part of amendments to the country’s traffic offences law which is currently being trialed in Johannesburg and Tshwane.

The RTIA says it plans to penalise new drivers who behave recklessly even before they can apply for a driver’s license.

Exceeding the speed limit can earn a driver up to 3 demerit points out of a maximum of 12 before a licence is suspended.

Those who have been found guilty of a traffic offence by a court of law will automatically earn themselves 6 demerits and will be forced to attend a rehabilitation programme to get their licence back.

The agency’s Peter Baloyi said: “”Once they have completed the programme, we then reduce the demerit points by three.”

Court action is still reserved for serious road crimes under existing law.

Baloyi told reporters that the bill was still being debated in Parliament, and therefore was not law yet.

– EWN & Radio Islam 

Twitter: @FaizelPatel143