Request ID: FOI-0794-2223 Date published: 13 September 2022
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
On the 1st of August 2014 you announced (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2014/august/new-bus-sensor-technology-trial) plans to trial two systems "CycleEye" and "Cycle Safety Shield".
The announcement stated that a full report would be published later that year - however no such report is available on the site.
This was requested previously under: FOI-0059-1516, and stated it would be published in summer 2015, this again did not come to fruition as far as I can see.
Can you please provide me with the report and findings regarding the two trailed systems and if there are any plans to roll this out across the estate.
We answered
TfL Ref: 0794-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 2 July 2022 asking for information about the bus sensor technology trial from 2014.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. We can confirm we hold the information you have requested. You asked: On the 1st of August 2014 you announced (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2014/august/new-bus-sensor-technology-trial) plans to trial two systems "CycleEye" and "Cycle Safety Shield". The announcement stated that a full report would be published later that year - however no such report is available on the site. This was requested previously under: FOI-0059-1516, and stated it would be published in summer 2015, this again did not come to fruition as far as I can see. Can you please provide me with the report and findings regarding the two trialled systems and if there are any plans to roll this out across the estate.
Please find attached the most recent version of the report that was produced in 2015 following the trial which took place in 2014 - it was decided not to proceed with the publication of the report at the time following a breakdown in the relationship between TfL and one of the providers and TfL’s decision not to progress beyond the trial.
Vision Zero is at the heart of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and reflects our fundamental belief that no death or serious injury on London’s road and transport network is acceptable or inevitable. The Vision Zero Action Plan, published by the Mayor of London, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police Service in July 2018, details the evidence based actions we’re taking to eliminate death and serious injury from London’s streets by 2041.
Further work has been and is currently being carried out with both of the suppliers from the original trial. CycleEye is a Fusion Processing product and we ran a subsequent project with Fusion Processing as part of TfL’s 2019 Bus Safety Innovation Challenge. However, this stalled during the pandemic. Cycle Safety Shield was powered by Mobileye’s EyeQ System-On-Chip and we have a live project with Mobileye now in conjunction with one of the London Bus Operators using their more advanced system, Shield+ Connect. Furthermore, some operators have been introducing Mobileye technology of their own accord, such as Abellio who have rolled it out to their entire London fleet, or are conducting their own trials. We have a requirement in the Bus Safety Standard for ‘front and nearside’ detection systems to be introduced onto all new buses from 2024, under which these products would fall. Please note, however, that we have a performance specification rather than a product-specific specification for our buses, so we are not requiring the roll out of any specific product however if these products achieve our specification then they could be used by bus manufacturers and operators to meet our specification.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
