PRO1681 -Contract for the Design, Development, Supply and Installation of Passenger Stop Signs and the provision of related Services

Concepts

• real-time passenger information system
• installation services
• the countdown 2 services
• computer screens and consoles
• permanent message signs
• graphic display panels
• variable message signs
• display units
• display cases
• passenger information system

Location

LONDON

Description

Following an OJEU (Official Journal of European Union) competitive tender exercise, in 2009 London Bus Services Limited (LBSL), a subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), awarded a 12 year contract to Trueform Ltd for the supply, install and maintenance of Countdown 2 (CD2) signs (the Contract). Trueform are responsible for maintaining circa 50% of the Countdown signs on TfL's estate, which comprises approximately 2,700 LED technology screens affixed to the roof of bus shelters across TfL's network. In 2021, the parties agreed to extend the Contract for 18 months, such that it would terminate in February 2023. LBSL is in the process of competitively procuring the next generation of signs and services, Countdown 3 (CD3), under the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (UCR). The Countdown 3 procurement contemplates a contract being awarded to a single supplier, which will be responsible for the total volume of Signs where LBSL requires the Passenger Information Sign Services to be installed and maintained. The Countdown 3 project commenced in 2020, although due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was put on hold, which meant that no replacement contracts were awarded. On 16 September 2022, LBSL and Trueform Limited entered into an agreement to extend the Contract term for an initial 12 months to February 2024 with the option to extend for a further 6 months.

Ammendments to Previous Notice

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 48813200 - Real-time passenger information system
• 30231000 - Computer screens and consoles
• 31523200 - Permanent message signs
• 31682230 - Graphic display panels
• 34924000 - Variable message signs
• 39133000 - Display units
• 39171000 - Display cases
• 48813000 - Passenger information system
• 50312600 - Maintenance and repair of information technology equipment
• 51211000 - Installation services of time-measuring equipment
• 72319000 - Data supply services

Indicators

• Contract modified due to additional needs.

Legal Justification

Given the age of the Countdown 2 sign estate and its planned replacement in the near-term, it is not viable for TfL or LBSL to bring in a different contractor on a short term basis in a way that safeguards the continued operation of LBSL's countdown services, pending the conclusion of the Countdown 3 procurement. To do so would likely result in disruption to the service, thereby creating significant inconvenience to LBSL and broader users of the bus network. Furthermore, the existing Countdown 2 signs cannot be taken on by another supplier as it would not be technically possible for another supplier to operate the existing Countdown 2 signs. A change in supplier would give rise to a need to replace the Countdown 2 assets. Indeed, replacement of the Countdown 2 assets is contemplated in the Countdown 3 procurement, such that an interim replacement would duplicate costs in light of Countdown 3.

Other Information

As the Countdown 3 procurement is now due to reach the contract award stage in Autumn 2024, a further extension of the Contract is required to allow sufficient time for the appropriate and orderly transition from the existing Countdown 2 signs to the new signs which will be installed and maintained by the Countdown 3 supplier. Additional time is also required to ensure that the transition can be affected in a manner which avoids any unplanned service disruption to customers. Accordingly, in February 2024, LBSL and Trueform Limited entered into an agreement to further extend the Contract term for an initial period of 12 months to February 2025 with an option for an additional 6 months ("Extension") so that Trueform Limited can continue to provide the Countdown 2 services, permit the Countdown 3 procurement process to be properly carried out and allow mobilisation and transition to take place before the new suppliers take up the support and maintenance of the Countdown 3 signs. As explained at section VII.2 below, LBSL considers that the Extension benefits from the exemption for "additional services" that is laid down in Regulation 88(1)(b) of the UCR. This exemption allows for the non-competitive procurement of additional services that have become necessary, where a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons and where such a change would cause significant inconvenience or duplication of costs.