The South African Local Government Association has launched an urgent court bid to stop Phase 2 of the AARTO rollout from going ahead on 1 July.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria is expected to hear the application this week.
SALGA wants the implementation of Phase 2 of the Administration and Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act blocked until an intergovernmental dispute over the rollout has been properly dealt with.
The association said the dispute centres on the timing of the rollout and the financial model behind AARTO.
SALGA said it supports the aim of AARTO, especially efforts to improve road safety and reduce South Africa’s high number of road crashes.
However, it has raised serious concerns about how municipalities are expected to fund the system.
According to SALGA, the current AARTO regulations published in October 2025 place financial pressure on municipalities without giving them a sustainable funding plan.
The association warned that this could force local government to divert limited money away from basic services.
SALGA said municipalities are already under financial strain and cannot be expected to absorb new responsibilities without proper funding.
Talks With Government Failed to Resolve Dispute
SALGA said it had raised its concerns with the Department of Transport and the Minister of Transport several times.
These engagements date back to 2022 and continued more recently from November last year.
The association said the proposed financial arrangements would see municipalities spending more than they can earn from the system.
It also said recent offers by the minister, including preparatory meetings, a workshop and a possible review of the regulations within six months, came too late.
SALGA said those steps do not address the core problems before the 1 July implementation date.
SALGA Calls for Delay
SALGA said the urgent court action is based on the principle of cooperative governance.
It argued that municipalities must have meaningful input into regulations that affect their budgets and day-to-day operations.
The association said implementing AARTO before resolving the funding dispute could weaken traffic law enforcement and harm the same road safety goals the Act is meant to support.
SALGA has called on the department and minister to give an undertaking that Phase 2 will not go ahead until the funding concerns are resolved.
The association said it remains open to talks, but added that any solution must balance road safety with the financial reality facing municipalities.
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