TfL may hire borough healthy street officers

STREETS

Transport for London  plans to procure a team of ‘healthy streets officers’ who will work with boroughs to encourage people to walk, cycle and take public transport more often.

A prior information notice (PIN) has been issued to the market, explaining the intention to appoint officers on one-year contracts but with potential for three one-year renewals. 

Officers will: 

• promote the STARS school travel plan scheme that accredits schools as bronze, silver or gold depending on performance. TfL wants to achieve gold accreditation for 87 more schools a year until 2024

• engage with higher/further education institutions on travel initiatives, identify educational institutes and businesses with the greatest potential for modal shift, and ensure borough officers’ needs are relayed to TfL

• help boroughs and TfL engage with schools and businesses to participate in ‘Walk to work week’ (9-13 May), ‘Walk to school week’ (20-25 May), ‘Car -free day’ (22 September), ‘National bike week’ (9-17 June) and other local events

The estimated value of the contract is £1.35m, excluding VAT. TfL says the contract would commence on 31 May, initially as a pilot project with one borough, running to mid-June. Full roll-out is planned for the end of July.  

LTT asked TfL how many officers would be appointed but it did not answer.  On whether one supplier was expected to provide all the officers, the spokesman said this would be decided later in the procurement process.

Asked why TfL was recruiting officers via a third party, the spokesman said: “TfL is committed to getting the best value for money. In order to explore our options for the healthy streets officers, we have published a PIN. The PIN is merely an information-gathering exercise and does not constitute a formal contract opportunity.”