Fears of emergency services delays as Hebron Road becomes bottleneck
There is only one main entrance along Hebron Road, which is creating serious safety risks. The metro has acknowledged the area’s constraints, but says any major relief is linked to long-term provincial road planning.
Residents of Soshanguve Block XX are calling on the Tshwane metro and other relevant authorities to intervene in what they describe as a critical public safety concern.
They are worried about reliance on a single primary access road that serves thousands of households in a rapidly growing, high-density residential area.
Community member, Kagiso Mosobe, said that at peak hours, traffic congestion at the main access point along Hebron Road leads to significant delays, frustrating commuters and disrupting daily life.
He said beyond the inconvenience lies a more pressing issue of restricted access for emergency services.
“Residents fear that ambulances, fire services, and law enforcement could face life-threatening delays if the sole entry route becomes congested or blocked,” said Mosobe.
He said the situation becomes even more concerning if protests, accidents or other disruptions are taking place at the entrance.
“With no alternative route, entire sections of the community risk being effectively cut off, leaving residents trapped and vulnerable during emergencies,” he added.
Mosobe said population growth and a steady increase in backyard dwellings have further intensified pressure on already strained infrastructure.
He argued that what may have been sufficient decades ago no longer meets the demands of the current population density.
“I humbly plead for an urgent review of whether this situation meets acceptable planning and emergency safety standards, and can the relevant authorities urgently assess the need for an additional entrance or emergency access route for Soshanguve Block XX,” said Mosobe.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo has acknowledged the spatial limitations affecting Soshanguve Block XX.
He said the area is geographically constrained, bordered by the R80 freeway to the east and the Pretoria-Mabopane railway line to the west, with the original township plan dating back to 1996.
Mashigo further explained that Traffic Impact Assessments are typically conducted before new developments, guiding infrastructure upgrades.
However, Mosobe alleges much of Block XX’s current pressure stems from organic growth rather than planned expansion.
Masigho said, “The only possible relief to this current situation is that the Gauteng Provincial Department of Roads and Transport has, in their long-term planning, a future East-West Road planned, together with a proposed additional service interchange from the R80.
“The planned alignment of this proposed road will be between Soshanguve A and Soshanguve B, which ought to open up this area between the R80 and the railway line for all the Soshanguve townships in this vicinity,” Mashigo said.
He emphasised that the metro cautions that this is very long-term planning and should not result in raised expectations to provide relief in the near future.
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