Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Capita an extension to its contracts to manage London’s Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
The announcement comes as TfL announced that installation of the first new cameras for the expanded ULEZ has begun.
The deal, which is worth £355m, comprises an extension to Capita’s work on the existing schemes from October 2021 to October 2026, and new work associated with the expansion of the ULEZ, Direct Vision Standards (DVS), and the LEZ to October 2026.
An entry point to the current ULEZ and Congestion Charge zone
Capita’s chief executive officer, Jon Lewis, said: ‘These new contracts will see us build on our existing partnership, which has already seen us launch ULEZ on time and on budget, and will draw on our track record of transformation and digitally enabled services, as well as adding value for our shareholders.’
The firm said the contracts will involve further improving the efficiency of the ways TfL customers can address their queries about the services, through the introduction of digital technologies.
It is migrating to the cloud the existing technology used to operate the Congestion Charge, LEZ and ULEZ, which processes an average of 1.5 million roadside images a day.
This is designed to ensure that the operations are more flexible and should enable the company to scale the service quickly to incorporate the ULEZ expansion being delivered on behalf of TfL.
Capita will run the registration and monitoring service for the new DVS scheme. This is an initiative to measure how safely an HGV driver can see through their cab windows and aims to prevent vehicles regarded as unsafe, particularly for vulnerable users, from using London’s roads.
The contracts will also see Capital implementing further London-wide changes to the LEZ standards for HGVs and buses.
Capita said it anticipates recruiting and training an additional 900 new staff to deliver the expanded service. The majority of these will have the capability to work remotely and will be encouraged to work from home.
The expanded ULEZ, scheduled to be operational from October 2021, which will increase from Central London to the entire area within London’s North Circular and South Circular roads.
The area covered by the existing Congestion Charge and ULEZ has around 650 cameras. The new zone will be 18 times the size, but TfL said new technology means only around 750 additional cameras will need to be installed.
To reduce the number of additional sites required, it is prioritising cameras - at locations on existing lamp columns and on traffic signals - already used to monitor traffic.
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