Many South Africans may not be aware that road infringements were criminalised and processed as part of the Criminal Procedure Act before the Department of Transport’s recent changes to traffic violations.
Now that the phased introduction of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system is in full swing, South African road users will no longer be criminally penalised by most common road infringements. Besides not being criminally prosecuted, they can expect to make considerable savings if they know how to view and pay AARTO traffic fines online.
The first part of the phased introduction of AARTO is to make viewing and paying for traffic violations easier. The AARTO has partnered with many retailers to create service outlets but has also been working with online service providers in the hope that more drivers will pay their traffic fines on time.
Where To View AARTO Traffic Fines Online
The most significant incentive to view and pay traffic fines online is that you could benefit from a 50% reduction in cost. This reduction is available if you pay your traffic fine within a specific period – 32 days after receiving the initial infringement notice.
The AARTO has committed to delivering the infringement notice by registered mail. However, many drivers find that they either have not received the notice or received the notice too late, making it impossible to benefit from savings.
Furthermore, many drivers aren’t aware that they have committed a road infringement, possibly because the violation was captured by a traffic camera or someone else was driving the vehicle when the infringement took place. For that reason, knowing where to view AARTO traffic fines online is ideal.
This list of online service providers shows the most commonly used platforms to view traffic fines for free online.
AARTO.gov.za
The simplest method to view your traffic fines is to create an account with AARTO.gov.za.
Step 1: Start by visiting AARTO online portal and clicking on ‘Register’ at the top right side of the screen.
Step 2: Select if you are an individual driver or registering as a proxy for a company.
Step 3: Fill in the required details and complete the registration process.
Step 4: You will now be able to search for traffic infringements.
PayCity
For the municipalities where PayCity works, it has become a go-to for many drivers. The service is convenient, modern, and easy to use, and they have telephonic support if you need it.
On PayCity, viewing your fines is free. However, there are fees if you want to pay your fines using the service.
To view fines using PayCity, you can follow the steps below.
Step 1: Visit the PayCity Website.
Step 2: Click on ‘Register‘ at the top right side of the screen.
Step 3: Input your name, surname, email address, and password.
Step 4: On your dashboard, click on traffic fines and add your ID number, company registration number, or foreign identification.
Step 5: You will now be able to see your outstanding fines.
ViewFines.net
ViewFines.net has valuable features in that – if your traffic offence is caught on camera – you may be able to see the image. This will help you decide if you should dispute the offence or if you want to nominate another driver.
However, not all traffic infringements have an accompanying image. Nevertheless, you can still view your traffic infringements and the information about each traffic infringement on viewfines.net. Then, from there, you can make arrangements to pay. But, to view your traffic infringements, you will need to create an account:
Step 1: Visit viewfines.net
Step 2: Click on ‘Login/Register at the top right side of the screen.
Step 3: If you don’t have an account yet, click on ‘Don’t have an account yet? Get Started‘ beneath the login section.
Step 4: Fill in your ID number and other personal details to create an account.
Step 5: Access your dashboard to find any outstanding fines.
How to Pay AARTO Traffic Fines Online
Once you’ve been made aware of a traffic violation, it makes sense to want to pay it immediately or – at the very least – make payment arrangements with the AARTO. Considering that if you don’t make payments – or a payment arrangement – within those first 32 days, you could be liable for penalties of up to R300 besides the cost of the initial infringement.
Although there may be plenty of options to view your traffic violations online for free, there aren’t that many service providers that enable you to pay your traffic fines online for free.
Many service providers allow you to pay your traffic fines, either at a once-off cost or part of a subscription model that comes with additional perks. The list below details where you can pay AARTO traffic fines online.
Internet Banking
All of South Africa’s major banks – FNB, Standard Bank, Capitec Bank, Nedbank, and ABSA – allow their customers to pay their traffic fines online, using the online banking portal. FNB also enables users to pay for traffic fines via cellphone banking.
Nevertheless, if you’re using your online banking portal, use the navigation menu to find the section for traffic fines. You can then pay for the fine using your ID number to search for the fine or the traffic violation number.
Cost: This will be subject to the type of account you have with your bank or any additional service charges.
PayCity
PayCity is the most convenient option as they provide you with notifications of new traffic infringements and calculate the potential savings if you decide to pay sooner.
However, to pay using PayCity, you will need to sign up for an account, and there is no way to pay your fine for free using this platform.
Cost: If you have not signed up for a subscription with PayCity, you will be subject to a R10 ‘convenience’ fee every time you pay using PayCity. However, subscriptions start at R130 a year and include perks like getting real-time notifications of traffic infringements as well as reminders to pay fines.
There are also mechanisms to pay traffic fines offline. If you find yourself in retailers like Pick n Pay, Checkers, Shoprite, Boxer, and some Spars, you can pay your traffic fines at the till point.
It can be more convenient – and cheaper – if you’re already at the shop. However, if you need to go out of your way to visit a retailer, it’s better to know how to pay your AARTO traffic fines online.
