The Queensland Government is rolling out award-winning traffic technology that creates a quicker response time for emergency vehicles.
The Emergency Vehicle Priority (EVP) system, which provides a green traffic signal to approaching emergency vehicles fitted with the technology, is now in place at 72 intersections in Cairns.
There are also now 39 Cairns QAS vehicles equipped and running with EVP technology, while Cairns QFES appliances will be fitted out and operational in the coming weeks.
Acting Minister for Main Roads and Road Safety, Steven Miles, said the EVP system was congestion-busting technology that gave fire trucks and ambulances priority when responding to emergencies.
“The time it could save ambulance or firefighting vehicles arriving at the scene of an emergency could be the difference between life and death,” Mr Miles said.
“As the population in Queensland grows and demand for emergency responses increase, the development of EVP could not have come at a better time to help us reduce emergency response times into the future.
“My department has been working hard with Public Safety Business Agency (PSBA), Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) to have Cairns up and running with this internationally award-winning technology.”
Member for Barron River, Craig Crawford, who is a former paramedic, said he was thrilled to see the technology rolled out in the Far North.
“We’ve already seen great results in other areas of Queensland where we’ve rolled it out previously – for example, EVP-equipped vehicles on the Gold Coast are showing travel time reductions by up to 26 per cent,” Mr Crawford said.
“The rollout of EVP in Cairns has been carried out in conjunction with emergency services to determine the routes and locations where emergency vehicles would have greatest benefit.”
The TMR developed technology has won several awards, including:
- Hall of Fame award, Local Government category in October 2015 at the International ITS Congress held in Bordeaux, France
- State Government Initiatives, and Founder’s award for Outstanding Achievement at the 2016 Australian Road Safety Awards
- ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) award, Australian Government category in November 2014 for the successful Emergency Vehicle Priority implementation on Samford Road, Brisbane
Across Queensland there are currently 1917 intersections, 419 ambulances and 94 fire appliances with EVP technology.
Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Rockhampton and Gladstone are next in line as part of the Queensland Government’s $13.5 million investment in this technology.
