IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Tender description

The Real Time Optimiser (RTO) System will replace TfL’s existing Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system and the Split Cycle Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) traffic signal optimiser. It will protect future road traffic operations in London, removing dependencies on end-of-life software and systems and providing enhanced functionality that is critical to reduce delays and improve journey time reliability. It will also act as an enabler for future technologies, providing the opportunity to work with an enhanced selection of data sources and predictive capability. The initial development and implementation will deliver enhanced capability for London. The product will be developed further through a jointly agreed and managed product roadmap for the RTO System, ensuring that it evolves throughout the term of the contract to continue to meet the needs of London and other cities that may adopt it. TfL and the service provider will work together to commercially exploit the RTO System globally. The procurement process has been conducted using the negotiated procedure without prior publication due to the absence of competition for technical reasons in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) – see Section IV.1.1) The RTO Contract will put TfL in a position where the capability to operate and strategically control London’s road network is safeguarded both now and into the foreseeable future. This will be accomplished through delivery and upkeep of the following: a tailor-made product for London’s road management requirements delivered into operation within London without any disruption, a regime of support centred on operational resilience, and a development roadmap rooted in operational delivery requirements. The transition period of delivery will encompass development of the RTO System to meet TfL’s requirements, ensuring interoperability with any legacy systems, and full system and user testing. This final step will be followed by a phased approach to deployment, such that traffic control signals in London have their controlling influence switched from the old to the new systems whilst suffering no degradation in performance due to the cutover. The new RTO System will require an extensive support provision, to be delivered primarily by the service provider but with coordinating activity from TfL’s Technology and Data team. This support will be necessary to cover times extended beyond normal office hours, reflecting the 24/7 nature of roads management within London. The service provider will co-own the development roadmap for the RTO System with TfL, enabling commercial, strategic and operational strands to be woven together to successfully direct the lifecycle of the product. The initial roadmap will include developments covering optimisation technique improvements (including a longer term development building upon the current capabilities of SCOOT), making use of technology advances to evolve the RTO System to draw in the area of predictive modelling and making tangible improvements to operational processes – thus enabling more focussed attention being given to management of the road space. Further development of the roadmap is likely to be influenced by evolving requirements brought by the proliferation of connected vehicles and the anticipated arrival of autonomous ones. In addition it is anticipated that the RTO System will be further developed to optimise the use of a widening range of data sources, enable even more efficient use of road network capacity and support the policy goals of TfL and London (embedded within the Mayor’s Transport Strategy) including improved air quality and safety related applications. One further aspect of the RTO Contract will be the jointly managed exploitation business, whereby TfL and the service provider will work together to sell and deploy the RTO System around the world, sharing the financial returns.