4 July 2009
Reckless drivers will lose their licences when the new demerit system comes into full effect 2010, while learner licence tests are to be computerised around the country to root out fraud.
Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele announced on Friday that the administrative adjudication of road traffic offences - which includes a comprehensive demerit system - will come into operation in all provinces and municipalities from 2010.
The new system will see all drivers allocated 100 points and penalised for traffic offences ranging from speeding, overloading, skipping red robots to drinking and driving.
Ndebele, who briefed journalists after presenting his department's budget to the National Assembly, said a driver who skipped a red traffic light would lose five points.
Points deducted would increase according to the severity of an offence.
When serial offenders ran out of points, they would immediately lose their licences.
Ndebele said the demerit system would have national reach, meaning that drivers would lose points regardless of which province the traffic offence was committed in.
The demerit system would run concurrently with existing traffic fines and drivers would still be required to pay normal traffic fines while losing points at the same time.
Serious transgressions such as drinking and driving would still result in the offender being arrested on the spot.
Ndebele said countries such as Sweden and Australia, where the demerit system had been in operation for years, had proved that safe and careful drivers could drive for up to 50 years and still have 85 points left on their driving score.
"It is you who will surrender your own licence," he said.
Ndebele also announced plans to computerise learner licence tests to stamp out rampant fraud and corruption in the system.
Computerised tests are at present only offered by large testing centres located in the major cities.
The government is also looking for a new service provider for the credit-card type drivers licences.
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