PUBLISHED ONJanuary 13, 2026 10:26 AMBYEsther LamThe Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) traffic priority system for emergency ambulances — which transitions lights to "green" at certain junctions for expedited passage — has saved close to 2 minutes per urgent trip to the hospital.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 13), the SCDF said the system has been used more than 2,500 times since its implementation in July 2024, "achieving average time savings of up to 1 minute and 57 seconds per emergency conveyance".
"Building on these positive operational outcomes, SCDF will continue to review and expand the deployment of the (system) to suitable locations, as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance emergency ambulance response for life-threatening medical emergencies," it said.
The system works via an in-vehicle electronic transponder and operates during the "final mile" of casualty conveyance, typically within 200m of traffic junctions near hospitals.
It was first deployed in July 2024 at selected junctions near Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
The next year, the system was rolled out at junctions near seven other public hospitals: National University Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Woodlands Hospital.
It was jointly developed by the SCDF, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency and the Land Transport Authority.
[[nid:725546]]