Question No: 2024/3679
Question (Thomas Turrell AM): 21st November 2024
Following up on questions 2024/3413 and 2024/2264, should I be concerned that TfL's ‘Framework Bus Contract’ is dated 1 January 2016 and contains nothing from (a) any one of at least four of TfL's 'world leading' bus safety initiatives and (b) the Vision Zero Programme? A document comparison with the November 2011 ‘Framework Bus Services’ contract shows that the few generic safety clauses the 2016 ‘Framework Contract’ TfL uses for tendering today do not differ substantively from the contract TfL used 13 years ago. How are we to believe that TfL is learning any lessons on bus safety when it has failed to update its ‘Framework Bus Services Contract’ to reflect any of the goals in its various bus safety and Vision Zero programmes?
Answer (Sadid Khan): 26th November 2024
While Transport for London’s framework bus service contract has changed little since 2016, each issued route contract refers to an up-to-date version of the Bus Vehicle Specification that must be used. This incorporates the latest version of the Bus Safety Standard. Each iteration places greater evidence-based safety requirements on the standard of vehicle to be used. These requirements are developed alongside industry, academia and bus operators in specialist working groups and carefully consider feedback from drivers. Examples include Camera Monitoring Systems and Intelligent Speed Assistance.
