Performance Analysis of an Emergency Vehicle Priority System with the Walabi Approach

The traffic light system (TLS) is the key element controlling traffic on the road, particularly in congested conditions or when traffic flow density is high. However, traditional TLSs in most countries cannot be regulated during an emergency, necessitating emergency vehicles to travel faster without any obstacles to the incident site. Several researchers have developed emergency vehicle priority (EVP) systems with a pre-emption method in TLS to provide an emergency vehicle with a green signal. The Walabi approach is one of the preemption methods that have been developed. This study analyzes how an EVP with the Walabi approach can reduce emergency vehicles’ travel time from the rescue station to the incident site. The approach utilized in this study is based on an algorithm created using the Walabi formula and a setup simulation using the simulation of urban mobility (SUMO). This study used the SUMO environment to evaluate the movement of emergency vehicles at two traffic flow densities (50 and 500 vehs/hour) through traditional TLS or EVP with the Walabi approach. The analysis shows that EVP with the Walabi approach can reduce emergency travel time by 11.49% for a traffic flow of 50 vehs/hour and 18.65% for a traffic flow of 500 vehs/hour. As a result, EVP with the Walabi method can help emergency vehicles achieve the emergency response time set by the government for rescue agencies.