Effect of Bus Rapid Transit on Fire Vehicle Dispatch Speed: Focusing on Busanjin Fire Station in Busan Metropolitan City

In Busan Metropolitan City, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has been installed as a public transportation initiative aimed at improving the punctuality and speed of buses. While BRT installation improved the speed of buses, the speed of general vehicles decreased. This reduction in the general vehicle speed also affects the timely dispatch of firefighting vehicles. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of the BRT installation and the specific sections of the BRT installation in Busan on the dispatch speed of firefighting vehicles. The analysis used data from the dispatches of 119 safety centers belonging to Busanjin Fire Station to Busanjin-gu from 2013 to 2022. A multiple regression analysis was conducted by dividing the collected data into two categories: BRT installation dates and sections along Jungang-daero, Chungryeol-daero, Haeundae-ro, and Gudeok-ro, where BRT was installed. The results of the analysis revealed that the BRT installation and linkage system in Busan Metropolitan City positively influenced the dispatch speed of firefighting vehicles, improving it by approximately 18%, from 16.26 km/h to 3.03 km/h. This improvement is likely attributed to the dedicated bus-only lanes, which allow firefighting vehicles to operate in a flow separate from the stagnant general traffic, leading to faster response times.