–-mulls specialised court

President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced plans to modernise the handling of traffic offences through expanded use of technology and possible creation of a specialised traffic court.

Speaking at the opening of the annual Officers’ Conference, the President highlighted the success of the new e‑ticketing system, which he said has brought “sanity on our roadways” by reducing bias and human interference. He revealed that a points‑based demerit system will be integrated into the platform, with automatic consequences for repeat offenders, including tiered licence suspensions.

Dr Ali said the rapid pace of technological change means the judiciary “may very well have to look at a specialised court to deal with traffic offences”, warning that offenders must not be allowed to exploit delays in prosecution. He has instructed the Minister of Home Affairs to pursue legislative amendments to support full electronic processing, from ticketing and prosecution to warrants and court presentation.