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Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, 1998 (Act No. 46 of 1998)

Chapter I : Interpretation of Act

1. Definitions

 

In this Act, unless the context otherwise indicates—

 

"acceptable identification"

means—

(a) a temporary identity certificate or an identity document issued in terms of the Identification Act, 1986 (Act No. 72 of 1986);
(b) a passport issued in terms of the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act, 1994 (Act No. 4 of 1994);
(c) in the case of a person not permanently resident in the Republic, an identity document issued by a foreign country or a traffic register number certificate;
(d) in the case of—
(i) a company, a certificate of incorporation or name change issued in terms of the Companies Act, 1973 (Act No. 61 of 1973); or
(ii) a close corporation, a founding statement or a certificate of name change issued in terms of the Close Corporations Act, 1984 (Act No. 69 of 1984);
(dA) a driving licence card issued in terms of the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996);

[Paragraph (dA) substituted by section 1(a) of Act No. 72 of 2002]

(e) a traffic register number certificate issued in terms of any national or provincial Road Traffic Act, in the case of –
(i) a person carrying on a business which, for the purpose of this definition, includes farming activities; or
(ii) a body of persons not referred to in paragraph (c); or
(f) a photocopy of the applicable certificate or document referred to in paragraphs (a) to (e);

 

"agency"’

means the Road Traffic Infringement Agency, established by section 3;

 

"authorised officer"

means—

(a) a traffic officer or a traffic warden appointed in terms of the laws of any province;
(b) a member of the service as defined in section 1 of the South African Police Service Act, 1995 (Act No. 68 of 1995);
(c) a national road transport inspector appointed in terms of section 37(1) of the Cross-Border Road Transport Act, 1998 (Act No. 4 of 1998), or any duly appointed provincial road transport inspector; or
(d) a municipal police officer appointed under any law;

 

"board"
means the Road Traffic Infringement Agency Board, established by section 6;
 
"courtesy letter"
means a courtesy letter contemplated in section 19;
 
‘"date of service"

means the date on which an infringer has signed for the relevant document served on him or her under section 30;

 

"demerit points’"

means demerit points contemplated in section 24;

 

"Director-General"

means the Director-General of the national Department of Transport;

 

"disqualification period"

means the period contemplated in section 25 during which a person is disqualified from driving or operating a motor vehicle or applying for a learner’s licence, driving licence, professional driving permit or operator card;

 

"enforcement order"

means an enforcement order contemplated in section 20;

 

"infringement"

means a major or a minor infringement;

 

"infringement notice"

means an infringement notice contemplated in section 17;

 

"infringer"

means a person who has allegedly committed an infringement;

 

"issuing authority"

means—

(a) a local authority contemplated in Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996), the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act No. 209 of 1993), or any other applicable law;
(b) a provincial administration; or
(c) the Road Traffic Management Corporation, established under section 4 of the Road Traffic Management Corporation Act, 1999,

in so far as such authority, administration or Corporation is responsible for traffic matters.

[Definition substituted by section 1 of Act No. 22 of 1999]

 

"major infringement"

means an offence categorised as a major infringement under section 29(a);

 

"MEC"

means a member of an Executive Council of a province appointed in terms of section 132 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996), and who is responsible for road traffic matters;

 

"Minister"

means the Minister of Transport;

 

"minor infringement"

means an offence categorised as a minor infringement under section 29(a);

 

"national contraventions register"

means the National Traffic Information System on which the offence details of every individual are recorded in terms of this Act;

 

"offence"

means an offence prescribed under section 29(a);

 

"penalty"

means the administrative penalty payable for an infringement as contemplated in section 31;

 

"prescribed"

means prescribed by regulation by the Minister under section 34;

 

"representations officer"

means a person contracted by the agency in terms of section 5 or appointed by the Registrar in terms of section 10 to consider representations submitted by any person who, after having committed a minor infringement, elects to make a representation;

[Definition inserted by section 1(b) of Act No. 72 of 2002]

 

"sheriff"

means a sheriff appointed under section 12; and

 

"this Act"

includes any regulation made in terms of section 34.