Despite mounting complaints and reports of serious accidents and unsafe navigation on Rubenstein Drive, the Tshwane metro said no major interventions will be implemented at the intersection of Rubenstein and Kariega Street, leaving residents frustrated and concerned for their safety.

The metro maintains that existing infrastructure is sufficient and that only minor maintenance, such as cutting overgrown grass to improve visibility, is required at the site.

This comes as residents continue to describe the intersection as dangerous, citing high-speed traffic, difficulty accessing Rubenstein Drive, and a history of accidents, some of them fatal.

Vehicles travelling from Solomon Mahlangu Drive (M10) and Lois Avenue are allegedly approaching the area at high speed, making it difficult and risky for residents to enter or exit Kariega Street.

Community members say the situation has become increasingly dangerous, particularly for families with children who rely on the intersection daily.

Reports from the community further suggest that as recently as last year, a mother and her son lost their lives at the site. Others have allegedly sustained serious injuries, including long-term back, neck and knee complications following collisions.

Liezel Hill expressed her frustration, saying vehicles come flying down Rubenstein Drive at very high speed from Solomon Mahlangu Drive (M10) and Lois Avenue.

“Trying to get in or out Kariega Street from a residential area is a nightmare and so dangerous. How many more serious accidents or lives must be lost at this intersection?” she said.

Dienie van Niekerk described the daily struggle faced by residents.

“This is a daily struggle to enter Rubenstein safely, especially during morning and afternoon peak traffic,” he said.

Van Niekerk added that many drivers show little consideration for residents trying to access the road.

“Whatever the solution, something need to be done to reduce the speed and provide residents a chance to enter Rubenstein safely. It will become an even bigger problem when the residential development between Rutgers and the reserve becomes complete,” he said.

Liza Schalkwyk highlighted ongoing frustrations with attempts to address the issue, saying residents have repeatedly proposed solutions without success.

“Its always about the costs and then funds that the city doesn’t have, and then we need to sort it out ourselves,” she said.

She added that reckless driving behaviour continues to worsen the situation.

“Downhill from Solomon Mahlangu into Rubenstein drive people think its Kyalami, and also skip the traffic lights and when its load-shedding or a power outage it’s nightmare in Elm Street,” she said.

Schalkwyk said fear has become part of daily life for residents.

“We leave at 06:30 just to safely exit or we have to drive an entire block around just to exit safely. It’s hectic and very sad and every idea given by us residents only gets answered back with some lame excuse why it cannot be done.”

Another resident, Mark Le Roux, suggested a possible intervention such as a traffic circle.

“Best solution is to install a circle which will force motorists to slow down at Kariega before reaching Rugters. I have been through the Kariega and Rugters intersections in Rubenstein for 18 years and one of the problems is speed,” he said.

He added that very few motorists adhere to the 60km/h speed limit.

Tracey Grobbelaar painted a grim picture of driver behaviour along the route.

“People not only skip traffic lights on the corner Peddie and Rubenstein, they race down Rubenstein as if on a racing course. The legal speed is 60km/h, if you dare drive 60km/h, they drive so close to you from behind, you can hear them breathing,” she said.

She added that attempting to slow down to turn into side streets often triggers aggressive behaviour from other drivers.

“It’s ridiculous. So many people have been seriously injured and even killed in those few metres between Rutgers and Kariega on Rubenstein. I have tried getting people to look into it, but to no avail. You have to triple check, take strong calming pills and then pray for your life, before getting in or out of Rubenstein,” she said.

Mckayla Krouse raised similar issues but at a different intersection: Delmas and Foxtrot Road.

“My husband and I use this intersection daily, both in the morning and afternoon, and have experienced ongoing challenges with traffic flow. Traffic is particularly heavy during peak hours, and motorists often have to wait for extended periods to get an opportunity to turn, as the traffic along Delmas Road is continuous,” she said.

Krouse noted that ongoing development in the area has significantly increased traffic volumes.

“As a result, traffic volumes have increased significantly, and the roads are becoming increasingly busy,” she said.

She warned that the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous due to high-speed traffic and limited opportunities to turn safely.

“It is often difficult to find a safe gap to turn, and drivers are sometimes forced to take chances, which significantly increase the risk of accidents,” she said.

Krouse believes the installation of a traffic signal would improve both traffic flow and safety. Responding to the concerns, Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said Kariega Street is considered a secondary access road, while Rutgers Street serves as the main access point to Rubenstein Drive.

Road improvements have been implemented at the access point on Rubenstein Drive, he added.

“A butterfly right-turn lane layout has been constructed to improve safety for right-turning vehicles.”

He added that following a site inspection, only limited immediate interventions were identified.

“During the site inspection this week, it was discovered that the grass on the verge of the road needs to be cut to improve the sight distance towards the north-west. Other than that, no other interventions can be proposed.”

Mashigo indicated that existing infrastructure is deemed sufficient.

“The traffic signal at Rubenstein Drive and Peddie Street does provide sufficient gaps in the north-west moving traffic to turn right into Rubenstein Drive from Kariega Street when it is safe to do so.”

He also noted that traffic calming measures such as speed humps are not feasible due to the road’s design.

“A traffic circle is not considered viable due to geometric constraints and limited reaction time for approaching vehicles,” Mashigo said.

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