Program to upgrade roadside emergency phones on freeways and highways announced

21/12/99

Transport Minister Murray Criddle today announced the start of a program to upgrade the roadside emergency phones on freeways and highways in the metropolitan area.
Mr Criddle said the program would see all roadside telephones upgraded from analogue cellular and cable technology to the digital network to allow motorists to continue to make use of this important service.
"The upgrade of the existing emergency telephone network will be implemented in two stages, with all analogue phones being converted by December 31, 1999 to coincide with the close of the analogue network, and the remaining cable phones being converted by March 2000," he said.
"This upgrade will ensure that the 22,000 Perth motorists who use this facility each year can continue to get roadside assistance in an emergency when travelling on metropolitan freeways and highways.
"The program to upgrade the existing network also provides the opportunity to introduce a new product from Telstra called WayPhones that offer a number of benefits for road users over the existing service.
"WayPhones use state-of-the-art technology to allow them to be remotely tested from the depot for faults.
"Being able to regularly check the unit from the depot reduces the ongoing service costs and increases reliability of the emergency telephones."
Roadside emergency telephones were introduced in the metropolitan area in 1983 and are now provided on Mitchell and Kwinana freeways; Roe, Reid, Tonkin and Leach highways; and on Great Eastern Highway Bypass.
The 277 emergency phone are provided at approximately one kilometre intervals and usually in pairs so that motorists can access them without crossing to the opposite side of the road.
Calls on the emergency telephones are free and are answered 24 hours a day by a trained RAC operator, who can request emergency assistance or connect the caller to the breakdown service of their choice.
"The new hands-free telephones are extremely robust, are easy to use and incorporate the needs of people with disabilities," Mr Criddle said.
The emergency telephone upgrade will be the first of many improvements to traffic control infrastructure over the 10-year period.
Another improvement currently being carried out is the expansion of the existing traffic monitoring system.
An additional 12 traffic monitoring cameras will be installed on arterial and major roads in the central business district to help gather traffic information over the wider metropolitan area.
The cameras will be installed at locations on St George's Terrace, Wellington Street, Stirling Highway, Albany Highway, Marmion Avenue, Mitchell Freeway, Wanneroo Road, Leach Highway, Tonkin Highway and Great Eastern Highway.
The cameras provide visual information that is useful in controlling daily peak hour traffic problems, isolating road crashes and other emergencies, directing traffic flow around special events, and providing motorists with real time information about traffic and road conditions via radio broadcasts, variable message signs and the Internet.
Media contact: Doug Cunningham (08) 9321 7333