Today, Bangkok unveils Thailand’s first ever emergency lane to let ambulances and other emergency vehicles access hospitals faster.

This first emergency lane is only two kilometers long but it’s in a very well-traveled area — it stretches from Din Daeng junction to Rajavithi Hospital.

There is no strict fine or punishment for using the lane by non-emergency vehicles but, rather, allowing emergency vehicles exclusive use of the lane is on a voluntary basis.

Hopefully, drivers will think of the injured people in the ambulance and not that they’re trying to meet their friends at happy hour.

The lane will start at the beginning of Din Daeng expressway near Vibhavadi junction, along the Samliem Din Daeng flyover to Rajavithi Road, in Victory Monument. It will end at Rajavithi Hospital.

You can see the emergency lane by its marking of broken red lines with white crosses in red-painted circles, reported Thai PBS.

Use of the lane means that all non-emergency vehicles should merge out of the emergency lane when they see an emergency vehicle coming.

Allowing ambulances us of their lane could help them deliver patients to Rajavithi Hospital eight minutes faster — and possibly save lives and prevent permanent disabilities.

Pol. Gen. Pongsapat said that, if the emergency lane is utilized, more lanes will be added to allow faster access to hospitals in Victory Monument area including: Phramongkutklao, Ramathibodi, the Neurological Institute and Hospital, and the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.

bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/09/27/finally-bangkok-getting-its-first-ambulance-lane