Citation :

Bindu Puthentharayil Vikraman, Ebtihal Rashid Al-Bahri, Rana Mohammed Al-Khaife, Al Anood Zahran Al-Rajaibi, Sheikha Abdallah Mohammed Alsaadiya, Vanitha Mahadevan, "Adaptive Traffic Management: A Priority - Based Framework for Congestion Control," International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering, vol. 13, no. 9, pp. 236-243, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488549/IJECE-V13I9P115

Abstract

One of the major urban problems with far-reaching effects is traffic congestion. Traffic congestion in large cities can have dangerous consequences, especially for emergency vehicles, for instance, fire trucks and ambulances. In a fixed, delayed traffic system, under normal conditions, irrespective of the traffic, there are equal delays for all lanes. Such a system does not consider emergency vehicles. This study presents an intelligent traffic control system that prioritizes emergency vehicles according to designated priority indications. The proposed system allows emergency vehicles to drive through high-traffic areas without stopping. Any emergency vehicle that needs to cross the signal beforehand uses a Global Positioning System (GPS) to transmit its location. Traffic control systems are informed of the area and priority of emergency vehicles well in advance via special communication channels. The presented system comprises two sections: a live location transmitter placed in an emergency vehicle and a traffic control unit. The microcontroller module in the traffic control unit determines the vehicle distance and clears the lane for a set amount of time when it gets close to the signaling unit. After a certain amount of time, the specific lane status will turn green and restart regular operations. The suggested system dynamically modifies signal timing according to real-time priority, thus alleviating congestion and minimizing waiting times at junctions. The approach boosts public safety, improves emergency response efficiency, and supports sustainable urban mobility management by allocating distinct priorities to ambulances, police vehicles, and other emergency services.

Keywords

Adaptive traffic control, Emergency vehicle, GPS, Priority traffic, Traffic control.

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