Prepare for Aarto, companies warned

"Companies transporting hazardous chemicals and other dangerous goods have until April next year to prepare for the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system - or they could face losing their licences and permits," CAIA said in a statement.

The Aarto legislation would implement a point demerit system in which motorists would be penalised or lose their driver's licences after a certain number of traffic offences.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation announced this week that Aarto would be implemented in 2011 but did not give an exact date.

The CAIA said it was expected to happen in April.

The CAIA statement said, under Aarto, penalties would levied to vehicles "carrying goods not safely contained within the body of the vehicle, securely fastened to the vehicle, (or) properly protected from being dislodged or spilled".

This would carry a fine of R1 000 and three demerit points, with both the driver and operator being charged.

Also, a goods vehicle "carrying persons in the goods department without a partition" would incur a penalty of two demerit points, a R750 fine and both the driver and operator would be charged, said the CAIA.