Skip to main content

Queensland’s emergency vehicles green-lit for a quicker response

A US$6 million rollout of new traffic signal technology is to be rolled out across Queensland, Australia, over the next four years to improve travel times for emergency services vehicles, allowing quicker response times to priority incidents across the state. Emergency vehicle priority (EVP) technology automatically interrupts traffic signal operations to provide a green light signal to emergency response vehicles when safe to do so.
November 25, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

A US$6 million rollout of new traffic signal technology is to be rolled out across Queensland, Australia, over the next four years to improve travel times for emergency services vehicles, allowing quicker response times to priority incidents across the state.

Emergency vehicle priority (EVP) technology automatically interrupts traffic signal operations to provide a green light signal to emergency response vehicles when safe to do so.
The new technology rollout will reduce wait times for Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and the Queensland Ambulance Service and create a safer road network for motorists and emergency services drivers.

A recent performance evaluation of EVP in the Gold Coast area has shown that travel time for EVP equipped vehicles was reduced by 17-26 per cent compared to non-EVP equipped vehicles. Over the next four years, a further 1,600 intersections and nearly 700 emergency vehicles will be fitted with the devices

Toowoomba and Mackay are the next regional centres planned for the rollout, with EVP technology to be enabled in 2016. This expansion will complement the existing 800 intersections, 215 ambulances and 69 fire trucks that are currently using this technology.

The project is a joint collaboration between 796 Transmax, the 7026 Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Queensland Ambulance Service, and Public Service Business Agency. 

Related Content

  • October 12, 2015
    Queensland Transport and Main Roads enter ITS Hall of Fame
    Queensland Transport and Main Roads, Australia, were presented with the Hall of Fame award in ITS Australia’s National Industry Awards in the local government category for their work on the emergency vehicle priority (EVP) project. An intuitive intelligent transport system, the EVP technology is able to automatically interrupt normal traffic signal operations without human intervention, to provide a green light for emergency response vehicles to pass through - enhancing the safety of frontline officer
  • March 14, 2012
    Automatic signal control to prevent emergency vehicle collisions?
    Field trials under way in Arizona promise eradication of accidents between emergency vehicles at intersections – as part of a national focus on ‘intelligent signal’ infrastructure. Collisions between police cars, ambulances and fire crews as they reach intersections at the same time, with equal priority given by all signals set on red, are as serious as they sound absurd. For emergency teams and those in need of their help, the consequences are dire. The solution could come from application of connected veh
  • March 25, 2014
    Transmax develops EVP safety system
    A sophisticated system giving emergency vehicles priority at signalised junctions has been developed by specialist Australian ITS provider Transmax. The firm’s innovative Emergency Vehicle Priority (EVP) package switches traffic signals to green ahead of an emergency response vehicle, improving safety.
  • March 15, 2012
    Traffic signal priority initiatives aid better bus travel
    David Crawford investigates traffic signal priority initiatives developing for better bus travel on the US Pacific Coast Transit patronage rises by an average of 35% along commuter corridors equipped with bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, according to the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). BRT as defined as bus transit enhanced with ITS systems for better services, is winning new passengers attracted by opportunity to avoid increasing fuel costs and traffic congestion.