TfL invites bids for incident response system

Capita contract to expire in 2013

Transport for London (TfL), the organisation behind the capital's bus and underground train network, has issued a ‘Prior Information Notice' ahead of the expiration of its contract with Capita Business Solutions.

Capita won the contract to set up and run a centralised incident management system for TfL following a major National Grid power failure on the London Underground in 2003. That had highlighted the need for a better information and management system to identify and coordinate responses to problems on the transport network.

The system is used extensively today by duty officers to relay information to senior managers and in managing incidents, large and small, across the Underground network.

"The principal benefit derived from the system is the ability to provide the correct level of incident detail and actions required simultaneously to a wide group of affected users. It provides up-to-date incident information and has become a critical LUL [London Underground Limited] operation tool," states the Notice.

It adds: "The system provides early visibility and the ability to share information between various bodies, such as the British Transport Police, and other emergency services. It allows for prompt and quick decisions to be made around major incidents between key stakeholders."

The Notice is intended to alert potential bidders of the pending contract renewal and to seek expressions of interest prior to a formal procurement process.

Capita also ran TfL's congestion charging scheme - taking payments, monitoring cameras in the ‘central zone' of the capital, and issuing penalty tickets for non-payment - for the first 10 years, until it was ousted by IBM in 2009.