Emergency Vehicle Priority switched on in Mackay

Emergency services vehicles in Mackay will get to their destinations faster thanks to award-winning traffic technology switched on this month.

Emergency Vehicle Priority (EVP) gives fire trucks and ambulances priority when responding to emergencies.

“The time it could save ambulance and firefighting vehicles arriving at the scene of an emergency could be the difference between life and death,” said Minister for Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Mark Bailey.

“My department has been working hard with the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) and Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES) to have Mackay up and running with this internationally award-winning technology.”

Mackay now has 45 intersections and 35 QAS vehicles equipped and running with the technology.

The technology is already fitted out across 1550 intersections in south-east Queensland, Townsville and Bundaberg.

Toowoomba, Cairns, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Rockhampton and Gladstone will be next.

The Queensland Government is investing $13.5 million investment in the rollout.

More than 300 ambulances and 70 fire appliances in Queensland are equipped with EVP.

Minister Bailey said positive results have been recorded wherever the technology has been implemented.

“For example, EVP-equipped vehicles on the Gold Coast are showing travel time reductions by up to 26%,” Bailey said.

Image courtesy QAS.