Green wave” for emergency vehicles
Rzeszów – is the first city in Poland to implement priority technology for emergency vehicles. The system helps in the daily work of ambulance, fire and police services by automatically locating the vehicle during the action and switching on the green light, which ensures faster and safer passage through the intersection.
Since 2015, Rzeszow has an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) covering the entire city. The system includes 66 intersections with traffic lights, more than 40 variable message signs, meteo and pollution measurement stations, as well as CCTV camera systems, travel time, intelligent weighing and public transport priority.
The system is successively expanded with new functionalities. The latest is the Sitraffic Stream technology guaranteeing priority for emergency vehicles, which has successfully passed the testing phase and is already operational in Rzeszów.
The technology provides an automatic green light at each intersection for selected emergency vehicles equipped with a special on-board unit. The system uses GPS to determine the exact position of the vehicle, sends the data to a traffic control center and requests a priority phase.
No physical roadside infrastructure is required, and when an emergency vehicle passes through the intersection, the system returns to normal traffic light operation as quickly as possible. Everything is done automatically.
Thanks to this, the vehicle does not have to slow down before the intersection, drives more safely, does not generate noise due to less use of sirens, and the green light on the entire route allows drivers to more easily create a corridor of life for the oncoming emergency vehicle. All this ensures better, more effective and safer driving at intersections and, consequently, the completion of tasks
says Brigadier Tomasz Baran, M.Sc. – Commander of the State Fire Service in Rzeszów.
The system has been installed in 42 vehicles of the emergency services – ambulance, fire department and police. This is the first such implementation in Poland, which only emphasizes Rzeszów’s innovativeness in creating solutions improving the quality of life in all areas of the city
said Tadeusz Ferenc, Mayor of Rzeszów from 2002 to 2021
The technology was implemented by Yunex Traffic, which operates the ITS system in Rzeszów, as well as in Warsaw, Poznań, Kraków, Białystok and Tychy.
Priority for emergency vehicles is already successfully functioning in Europe, among others in several German cities and in the capital of Iceland. We are glad that it reaches Poland as well, and Rzeszów gains the technology which will be useful for all citizens
said Dariusz Obcowski, the President of Yunex Sp. z o.o.
