Transport for London will start tracking the movements of passengers on the London Underground from next month, the company has announced.

Beginning on 8 July, TfL will begin using the free Wi-Fi service provided throughout the tube network to gather information on the movements of passengers through the system. Anyone that connects to the Wi-Fi will be tracked as part of the scheme. An early pilot was held for four weeks in 2016 across more than 50 tube stations, during which TfL gathered data on more than 42 million journeys.

The aim of the programme will be to give TfL more granular data on passenger movement within stations, allowing them to inform customers more accurately about the state of the network, taking things like foot congestion and overcrowding into consideration, as well as train schedules.

"The benefits this new depersonalised dataset could unlock across our network--from providing customers with better alerts about overcrowding to helping station staff have a better understanding of the network in near-real time -- are enormous," said TfL's chief data officer Lauren Sager Weinstein.

"By better understanding overall patterns and flows, we can provide better information to our customers and help us plan and operate our transport network more effectively for all."

The data will also be made available via TfL's open API, meaning that app developers will also be able to make use of it. Journey planner apps like Citymapper, for example, could direct customers to pick the less overcrowded of two equally fast routes based on this passenger data.

"TfL is a world leader in the use of data to improve services," said London's chief digital officer Theo Blackwell. "Today nearly half of all Londoners use an app derived from TfL's open data feeds. Greater insight into how people use the Tube helps better transport planning but also enables the development of new apps to give customers further advance information about their planned journey in order to plan their best, and least congested route."

TfL has anticipated the concerns of privacy campaigners around this kind of mass tracking, however, and said that the data-gathering will be secure and privacy-protected. The data will be depersonalised, it said, promising that "individual customer data will never be shared and customers will not be personally identified from the data collected by TfL".

The organisation also noted that it had collaborated with the Information Commissioner's Office on developing the scheme in order to ensure that privacy and transparency concerns were adequately addressed.

Once the system goes into effect, warning notices will be added to TlF's in-station CCTV signage to alert them to the data collection and direct them to where they can find more information.

"While I am excited about the potential of this new dataset, I am equally mindful of the responsibility that comes with it," Weinstein said. "We take our customers' privacy extremely seriously and will not identify individuals from the Wi-Fi data collected. Transparency, privacy and ethics need to be at the forefront of data work in society and we recognise the trust that our customers place in us, and safeguarding our customers' data is absolutely fundamental."

Open data has a number of interesting use-cases in sectors such as healthcare, business, banking and property, but for an immediate, visual representation of the possibilities that open data unlocks, look no further than this live map of London's tube network.

Built by Birmingham-based programmer Matthew Somerville, the map uses data from TfL's open API to track trains in real time as they move around the London Underground network, including data on which direction the train is travelling, which line and route it's on, a unique identifier and how long it will take to reach the next stop.

The latest version of the tool maps the paths of the trains to the classic London Underground map designed by Harry Beck in 1931, The original version - created by Somerville as part of a science hackathon in 2010 - is a geographic representation of their network, overlaying the trains' real-world paths over a map of london.

The system works by using data from the TfL API and then doing, in Somerville's words, "a bit of maths and magic". This API data is the same feed used by apps like Citymapper and Google Maps to offer up-to-date departure times and tube status updates for commuters.

In addition to his real-time tube map, Somerville has also used TfL data to create live maps for London buses and National Rail trains. While the system isn't entirely perfect - Somerville admitted that the trains don't always precisely follow the lines and gaps in TfL's raw data feed mean that data for some of the stations on the Circle and Hammersmith and City line are missing - the project offers a mesmerising look at the kind of creativity that open data can enable.

Uber's top exec in the UK has quit the troubled firm, just as its CEO is set to meet with regulators in London over the loss of its operating license.

Jo Bertram has quit as regional general manager for Northern Europe, saying another role has popped up that's more appealing. She'll stay on for the next few weeks for the "best possible transition", she said in an email to staff seen by Business Insider, noting that she would have liked to "have announced my move in smoother circumstances".

Transport for London last week revealed it wasn't renewing Uber's licence to operate in the capital, with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi set to meet with the regulators this week. Uber also faces disruption at the board level, with founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick appointing his own picks ahead of expected restructuring.

Until her successor is named, Bertram's role in the UK will be taken up by acting general manager for the UK Tom Elvidge. Bertram has worked for Uber for four years, spearheading the startup's rollout in the UK, in particular London. She suggested she was leaving because "an exciting new opportunity has arisen".

However, Bertram added that the ongoing controversy made it a good time for her to depart. "Given some of our current challenges, I'm also convinced that now is the right time to have a change of face, and to hand over to someone who will be here for the long haul and take us into the next phase," she said in an email to staff.

29/09/2017: Uber's CEO to meet TfL transport boss next week

Uber's newly appointed CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will meet transport commissioner Mike Brown next Tuesday.

A TfL spokesperson confirmed the meeting with IT Pro: "Following an approach from Uber, and at the Mayor's request, London's Transport Commissioner will meet with Uber's global CEO in London next Tuesday."

"Our new CEO is looking forward to meeting with the commissioner next week," an Uber spokesman said to IT Pro. "As he said on Monday, we want to work with London to make things right."

Transport for London (TfL) decided to refrain from issuing Uber with a private hire operator licence last week which means it will no longer be able to operate legally in London. Uber had 21 days to appeal and its service will continue until the appeal process has been exhausted.

Sadiq Khan also invited Khosrowshahi to meet after Uber's CEO issued a public apology after the ban had been announced. Khosrowshahi published a letter in the Evening Standard where he said: "We've got things wrong along the way" when talking about the ban. He confirmed Uber would appeal the decision and accepted the service needs to change to comply with legislation."

Khosrowshahi was appointed Uber CEO in August following the dismissal of co-founder and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick. Uber has been trying to clean up its company's image following allegations of systemic sexism and anti-competitive practices over the past year.

Image source: Uber

29/09/2017: Sadiq Khan asks TfL to meet Uber after CEO's apology

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has invited the CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, to meet after he issued a public apology following its ban in London, which is set to come into force from the end of the month.

"I welcome the apology from Dara Khosrowshahi, the Uber CEO. Obviously I am pleased that he has acknowledged the issues that Uber faces in London," Khan said. "Even though there is a legal process in place, I have asked TfL to make themselves available to meet with him."

Khosrowshahi said in an official letter published in the Evening Standard that it's been amazing to hear messages of support from everyone that uses the service and its drivers who have said they'll stand by the company's side as it deals with the legal action served by TfL.

"While Uber has revolutionised the way people move in cities around the world, it's equally true that we've got things wrong along the way," Khosrowshahi said. "On behalf of everyone at Uber globally, I apologise for the mistakes we've made."

He confirmed Uber would appeal against the decision on behalf of Londoners, and he accepted the service needs to change in order to meet legislation.

"As Uber's new CEO, it is my job to help Uber write its next chapter," Khosrowshahi continued. "We won't be perfect, but we will listen to you; we will look to be long-term partners with the cities we serve; and we will run our business with humility, integrity and passion."

25/09/2017: Sadiq Khan criticises Uber 'aggression' following TfL ban

The Mayor of London has accused Uber of bringing "unfair pressure" onto Transport for London (TfL) following the body's decision to ban the ride-hailing company from the capital.

TfL found Uber was not "fit and proper" to hold a private operator licence last Friday, meaning its licence will expire on 30 September without being renewed.

Uber, which has 40,000 drivers in the capital and millions of users, took to Twitter to promote its Change.org petition to reverse the ban, which has garnered 737,000 signatures at the time of writing, and defended its business in a series of tweets.

Uber said: "We intend to challenge this in the courts to defend the livelihoods of drivers & the consumer choice of millions of Londoners who use Uber.Uber drivers in London pass the same DBS background checks as other private hire services - see their name, photo & TfL license number in-app.

"We put safety at the forefront - each Uber trip is tracked and recorded by GPS. We have always followed TfL rules on reporting serious incidents, with a dedicated team that works closely with the Metropolitan Police."

In response, Mayor Sadiq Khan told Radio 4's Today programme this morning that Uber was bringing the full might of its PR to weigh against the ruling.

"What you can't do, is have a situation where unfair pressure is brought on a quasi-judicial body where there are officials working incredibly hard," he said, as quoted by the BBC.

"I appreciate Uber has an army of PR experts, I appreciate Uber has an army of lawyers - they've also made aggressive threats about taking us to court."

In its decision, TfL said Uber's approach to operating its business demonstrated a lack of corporate responsibility, pointing to a failure to report serious criminal offences, its approach to medical certificates, and its use of Greyball software that can stop regulatory bodies accessing Uber's full app.

Uber responded: "As shared with TfL, an independent review found that 'Greyball' has never been used or considered in the UK for the purposes cited by TfL."

It also warned that its fleet of 40,000 drivers would suffer from TfL's decision.

In a statement addressing the petition, Khan said: "I know that Uber has become a popular service for many Londoners - but it would be wrong for TfL to license Uber if there was any way this could pose a threat to Londoners' safety or security.

"I have every sympathy with Uber drivers and customers affected by this decision but their anger really should be directed at Uber. They have let down their drivers and customers by failing, in the view of TfL, to act as a fit and proper operator."

Transport for London (TfL) has revealed 40% of people are using their contactless payment cards to travel on buses, the tube and London Overground network, rather than loading credit onto pay as you go Oyster Cards, up from a quarter of all journeys in 2016.

A billion journeys have been paid for using contact payment cards on Oyster Card readers since the alternative payment option was introduced in 2012 on buses and in 2014 on the tube and London Overground.

"I'm delighted that we've hit one billion contactless journeys in London," London's Mayor Sadiq Khan said. "The dramatic increase in the use of contactless over the last year shows the real progress we've made making journeys easier and more convenient for busy Londoners and also visitors to our city.

"London continues to lead the way in terms of contactless payment around the world, and the money we make selling TfL's innovation and expertise to other major global cities will allow us to put further money into improving London's own transport network."

TfL added that on average, two million journeys are made using contactless payment cards rather that Oyster Cards every day and one in ten are made using contactless payment technology on mobile devices.

"Contactless payments have completely transformed the way people pay for travel in London and it's great to see more than 1 billion journeys now made across the Capital's transport network," Shashi Verma, chief technology officer at Transport for London, said.

"Our contactless technology is now making it easier for people to travel around the city, whether it's for work, leisure or to visit friends and family. We're committed to continue developing and expanding the system where we can to make it even more convenient for anyone visiting London."

The next stage of London's contactless payment travel system is to introduce contactless payment options on the Elizabeth Line which is due to launch in east London by December 2019.

Uber is facing the prospect of a substantial increase to its operating costs in London, if changes proposed on Thursday are passed by the city's transport authority.

As part of an on-going consultation, Transport for London (TfL) is considering plans to restructure the fees that private hire companies are charged for operating within the city, ensuring that operators are paying an amount appropriate to the resources needed to regulate their services.

Under the current system, private hire companies such as Uber and Addison Lee are bundled into two tiers for a five-year license. 'Small' operators, those with no more than two vehicles, currently pay 1,488 for their license fee, while 'large' firms pay 2,826, regardless of the size of their vehicle fleet.

The proposals would scrap this in favour of a five-tier system, accounting for a range of company sizes and licensing lengths. A company such as Uber, which has over 30,000 licensed drivers in London, would be slapped with the top tier fee, paying 167,000 for a license, plus 68 per car.

TfL has said the private hire industry has seen dramatic growth, rising from 65,000 licensed drivers in 2013 to more than 117,000 today. As a result the changes are necessary to account for the "substantial increase in the cost of ensuring private hire operators fulfill their licensing obligations and in tackling illegal activity to keep passengers safe", according to TfL.

The authority estimates that the cost of enforcing regulations alone will reach 30 million over the next five years, up from an original estimate of 4 million.

Helen Chapman, general manager of Taxi & Private Hire, said: "The operator fees system is no longer fit for purpose. It is only fair that licence fees for private hire operators accurately reflect the costs of enforcement and regulating the trade. The changes to fees would also enable us to fund additional compliance officers to help crackdown on illegal and dangerous activity."

IT Pro has reached out to Uber for a statement, but has yet to hear back.

If accepted, this change would mark the latest setback Uber has faced in the UK over the past year. The company has faced multiple legal challenges, losing a case in March to prevent TfL from imposing English reading and writing standards on Uber drivers.

In a separate case, a London tribunal ruled in October that Uber drivers should be considered as employees, earning them the right to minimum wage and holiday pay. Uber has always argued its drivers are self-employeed, and has since stated it would be appealing the decision in September.

Transport for London (TfL) will monitor Wi-Fi connection request data from London Underground passengers' smartphones.

It will do this as part of a four-week trial, from Monday 21 November, in a bit to get "a more accurate understanding of how people move through stations, interchange between services and how crowding develops".

Currently, TfL only captures and analyses data of when people have taped in to enter a station, and when they tap out using data from the contactless machines which accept Oyster cards, debit cards and credit cards.

The trial will consist of collecting Wi-Fi connection requests from mobile devices as customers pass through stations. When a device has Wi-Fi enabled, it will keep searching for a Wi-Fi network by sending out a unique identifier better known as a Media Access Control (MAC) address to nearby routers.

That data is then "automatically de-personalised" to avoid any issues it could have with privacy, and is then analysed by TfL. The aim is to get a better picture of how passengers are using the Tube network and use this information to make any necessary changes.

TfL hopes to use this data to increase revenue from companies that advertise within stations it can do this by showing interested parties where the biggest footfall within a station is, and charge premium prices accordingly.

Shashi Verma, chief technology officer (CTO) at TfL said: "The short trial will help us understand whether Wi-Fi connection data could help us plan and operate our transport network more effectively for customers".

"Historically, if we wanted to know how people travelled we would have to rely on paper surveys and manual counting, which is expensive, time-consuming and limited in detail and reliability. We hope the results of this trial will enable us to provide customers with even better information for journey planning and avoiding congestion," he added.

Waze and Transport for London (TfL) have joined forces to share traffic and navigation data, which, it is hoped, will help ease congestion, enable better planning decisions to be made and improve response times of emergency services in the UK's capital.

The initiative, called the Connected Citizens Programme, collates information from millions of people using the roads in London. Waze will offer TfL the opportunity to use this data in order to improve services and keep traffic moving, even if incidents cause disruption.

In exchange, TfL will inform Waze about any construction work happening, accidents or road closures, so the company can report the information to users of its app.

"Getting the latest traffic information direct to drivers when and where they want it is key to enabling them to avoid delays," Phil Young, head of online at TfL, said.

"We have a wealth of open data available and by working with Waze and joining the global Connected Citizens programme, we can not only ensure London's road users have the information they need to plan their journeys, but we can also draw in more data to help us manage London's busy road network," he added

Waze is currently being used across the globe to help cities more accurately provide drivers with the latest information. For example, it's being used to reduce congestion in Boston, which in turn enables emergency services to speed up emergency response times in the city by four minutes.

"Harnessing the insights of more than 65 million monthly active users, its Map Editor communities, and varied, data-driven enterprise partnerships, Waze continues to share its unprecedented knowledge base of traffic and driver insights to improve urban mobility across the world," Paige Fitzgerald, head of new business development at Waze's data acquisition unit, said.

"It is critical that prospective partners show their dedication to citizen engagement and commit to use Waze data to improve city efficiency. Waze Partners are also expected to measure and share their findings with other municipal organisations, developing case studies that serve as keys to a global set of improvements which can be made for collective mobility," she added

TfL is Waze's first Connected Citizens Programme partner in the UK and its 100th global collaboration.

Transport for London (TfL) and Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) have agreed on a licensing deal, enabling CTS to introduce the same technology behind Oyster cards to be introduced on other public transport systems around the world.

The £15m deal will allow CTS to take some elements of the contactless technology and merge it with other Cubic-powered ticketing systems in use by transport agencies around the world to build another solution.

“We’re delighted to have agreed this licensing deal with Cubic Transportation Systems to introduce our contactless payment system to other world cities," Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Customer Experience at TfL said.

"Contactless payments have completely transformed the way people pay for travel in London and this deal will allow other world cities to benefit from the hard work we put into making the system work for our customers.”

CTS and TfL also worked together to introduce contactless credit card and debit card payments on the tube network. To date, more than 500 million journeys have been made by more than 12 million unique credit and debit cards and contactless-enabled mobile devices such as the iPhone with Apple Pay.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the money made from the deal would be used to invest in new infrastructure and freeze TfL fares. He explained the deal is part of the London Mayor's commitment to using TfL's expertise around the globe.

“The challenges of mobility in 21st-century cities – including access for all, inclusion, environmental concerns and the pressure of ever-growing populations - can only be met through cooperation and partnership," Matthew Cole, president of Cubic Transportation Systems, said.

"No single entity has all the answers and this agreement between Cubic and TfL sets a new standard in public/private partnerships for addressing these issues, and acknowledges the success of account-based payment for transit for which there is clear interest from many cities across the world.”

CTS also provides contactless ticketing systems to other cities around the world, including Sydney, Brisbane, Vancouver and Chicago.

London Underground and rail customers can now be alerted to severe delays on major lines, helping them to avoid disruption, using a "world-first" service launched today by Transport for London (TfL) and Twitter.

The pilot scheme, developed solely with Twitter, will allow anybody who follows any combination of four existing TfL Twitter feeds to opt-in to receive instant notifications about severe disruption.

The four services that will be offered in the pilot include the Central line, District line, London Overground and TfL Rail services.

Currently, receiving live travel updates about delays through Twitter requires visiting the relevant account or searching through the timeline for the latest tweets.

For the first time, this pilot will allow notifications to be sent straight to customers' mobile devices, wherever they are, free of charge as a direct message.

To opt into the new service, users must visit www.tfl.gov.uk/twitter-alerts and select the lines for which they would like information.

Notifications can also be tailored to suit the time period that users wish to receive alerts, keeping unnecessary alerts outside of commuting hours or at weekends if they do not need them.

Using TfL's API data, many third-party apps offer direct alerts to users' handsets.

TfL's head of online, Phil Young, said the addition of live alerts through Twitter will aid the company's job of keeping its customers informed.

"The reliability of TfL services is at a record high, but disruption does sometimes occur. Getting the latest travel information direct to customers when and where they want it is key to enabling them to avoid delays," said Young.

"Millions of Londoners use apps powered by our free open data, alongside our website, to check the Tube, find a bus or see how the roads are running and this world-first partnership with Twitter is a fantastic way of ensuring our data helps keep our customers informed."

This is the first time that Twitter has partnered with a transport authority to provide live travel information in this way.

TfL plans to assess feedback from the pilot over the summer and, dependent on customer feedback, the service may beextended to other TfL Twitter feeds, as well as used to alert drivers of disruption on key road corridors.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, added: "Like every Londoner I rely on public transport to get me around and this world-first service looks set to become an essential tool for millions of Tube passengers. It is an innovative way of providing people with live updates from the Underground and contributes to my goal of making it as easy as possible to get around the capital."

In related news, 32 million Twitter passwords were found on sales on the dark web. Twitter has denied that its systems were breached in connect to this event.

Uber has welcomed TfL's decision to drop "bonkers" proposals that would have severely limited the taxi-hailing app's business in London.

The scrapped plans included a stipulation that people must wait at least five minutes between ordering a taxi and beginning the taxi journey.

TfL launched the proposals within a consultation on new rules for private hire operators in September 2015, but today TfL admitted the plans did not find widespread support despite 16,000 responses to the consultation.

Other suggestions that failed included a measure, suggested by London's black cab drivers, that apps should not show where available vehicles are, and an allowance for private cab firms to let customers book a taxi up to seven days in advance.

Uber's regional manager for the UK, Jo Bertram, said: "We're pleased Transport for London has listened to the views of passengers and drivers, dropping the bonkers ideas proposed last year like compulsory five minute wait times and banning showing cars in apps.

"It means Uber can continue to keep London moving with a convenient, safe and affordable ride at the push of a button."

But Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who has previously told the Telegraph that Uber breaks the law in "lots of minor ways", has asked TfL to explore whether private taxis should pay the congestion charge.

He said: "I have asked TfL to investigate the impact and feasibility of removing the congestion charging exemption for private hire vehicles with a view to cutting congestion in central London."

Such a move would cost cab drivers 11.50 to drive in central London on weekdays.

Transport for London (TfL) is trialling e-paper displays at four of its bus stops and plans to replace up to 19,000 shelters across the city if all goes according to plan.

The solar-powered displays show when buses are due to arrive on the existing stand, meaning Londoners are able to easily see when their next bus is coming. They will also display route information that can be controlled by passengers with the tap of a button, plus full timetables if those using the transport want to see more information about the service.

TfL's e-paper displays look like giant Kindles, but the benefits are much bigger than just showing information on time. Not only are they more disability-friendly, save space on stands and are intuitive to use, they also use less power than standard LED displays often seen on London's bus stands.

However, TfL hasn't revealed how much they will cost if the decision is made to implement the technology on all 19,000 bus stops in London.

"This is just an option. One of many ways we're looking at getting information out," Simon Reed, head of bus systems and technology at TfL told the BBC. "What we're investing in here is a trial for four stops to prove that the technology is viable and then really to work up what the costs of that would be network-wide or just in specific circumstances."

Vandalism in one concern Londoners will have about the technology, the BBC's technology Chris Foxx suggested, although Reed said if they work well, it's unlikely anyone will destroy the tech. "As long as the information is accurate and timely, Londoners find it useful and our rates of vandalism are actually very, very low," he said. "Something's useful, people value it, it doesn't get vandalised."

Transport for London (TfL) has doubled tablet usage for staff at work over the last two years, according to a Freedom of Information request.

The underground train operator handed a total 3,500 tablets to staff last year, almost double the 1,766 issued in 2012.

It comes after TfL revealed BYOD adoption had grown 500 per cent in the three years since 2010, counting 573 personal devices on the corporate network in 2013.

However, the company behind the FoI, app security expert Veracode, pointed out that the number of tablets in use raises a number of security issues.

These potential problems the risk of exposing sensitive data related to phones and tablets used at work.

Chris Wysopal, co-founder and CTO of Veracode, said: "Equipping workers with the latest mobile devices will help improve commuter experience and streamline day-to-day administrative activity across London's transport infrastructure.

"While TfL is leading the way in embracing the latest technologies, it should also ensure that rigorous security measures are put in place to reduce risk from mobile malware and unsafe applications."

The number of mobile phones given to staff by TfL has also increased by around a third over five years, and laptops by 14 per cent.

Since 2010, the total number of mobile devices handed out to employees has risen 48 per cent to 15,935.

And Wysopal warned: "Cybercriminals relentlessly target mobile applications to steal sensitive data and spy on mobile users.

"As a result, it is now becoming a best practice for organisations to implement mobile device management (MDM) systems powered by continuously-updated security intelligence about unsafe and malicious mobile apps to enforce security and privacy policies on their employee's devices in order to keep cyberattackers out."

The news comes the same month as TfL released traffic details for its new website, saying tablet users made 23 million visits to the site in the past year.

Another 120 million visits came from mobile and 107 million from desktops.

Transport for London (TfL) has handed a 6 million contract to Atos to handle its service desk operations.

The transport body has tasked the outsourcer with driving service improvements, cost efficiencies and various innovations under the three-year deal, which could be extended to four years.

It comes as TfL moves towards a new SIAM (systems integration and management) service delivery model, and the organisation picked Atos because of its experience implementing such models.

The outsourcer's technicians will be responsible for identifying cross-tower issues and trends by gathering real-time data across TfL.

Its service desk will need to spot these emerging trends and try to come up with soluutioins improving the end user experience.

Steve Townsend, CIO at TfL, said: "[We] promised we were going to transform the way we provide our information management services to our business and ultimately our customers.

"Atos provided a compelling bid and their approach complemented our transformation plan, making them the ideal partner to help take our plans forward."

Atos's Gerry Sheridan added: "We are delighted to be joining the TfL information management team. We believe our appointment will bring considerable benefits to the TfL team by delivering new and better business-focussed service targets and measures that will provide significant savings in ICT spend."

Amazon has signed a deal that means customers can now have their online orders delivered to their local Post Office for collection.

The arrangement will see Amazon join Royal Mail's Local Collect, which enables customers to pick up online goods from their local post office. The deal should mean customers no longer have to worry about missing a delivery or travelling to a sorting office to collect a parcel.

The service enables shoppers to have parcels delivered to around 10,500 Post Office branches, with Royal Mail claiming that 99 per cent of the population lives within three miles of a Post Office branch.

Amazon already has a similar services in place through its Amazon lockers, Pass My Parcel a tie-up with newspaper distributor Smiths News and hundreds of Collect+ stores.

"Pickup Locations have become the delivery method of choice for many shoppers. Offering the collection of packages from Post Offices is another great way of providing our customers with the highest levels of convenience," said Amazon UK managing director Christopher North.

"Customers can collect their Amazon orders from over 16,000 Pickup Locations across the UK," he added.

"Royal Mail is a key partner for online retailers and by teaming up with Post Office to offer the UK's largest click and collect service, we are enabling Amazon's customers to have greater control over the delivery of their items," said Nick Landon, managing director of Royal Mail Parcels.

In similar news, Argos has opened up a 170 square foot store in Cannon Street London Underground station to enable customers to make orders and collect online purchases on the way home from work.

Customers can order by 1pm for collection from 4pm or order after 1pm for collection the following day.

"Digital shoppers are increasingly demanding improved choice, convenience and speed in the fulfilment of their online orders, especially via click-and-collect; the collection of their online orders from a conveniently located shop," said John Walden, chief executive of Argos parent company Home Retail.

"Our new Argos Collect format at the Cannon Street Underground station will complement our other Argos digital store trials, including converted traditional Argos stores, small format digital stores, and concessions in select Homebase stores; nearly 50 in total in place for Christmas. Because of our innovative new hub and spoke' distribution network, we can now provide over 20,000 products to any of our locations within hours, regardless of the stocking capacity of each individual store."

"We have over 1,000 retail units across our transport network," said TfL director of commercial development Graeme Craig. "We are keen to retain a wide base of independent quality retailers that reflect the character of the local area and sit alongside pop-up shops, click-and-collect units and high street brands, to provide our millions of customers with better journeys and the range of shopping options they want."

Transport for London (TfL) has introduced contactless payments on the capital's tube and Overground network.

From today, you'll be able to tap in using a contactless payment card rather than an Oyster Card or paper ticket.

The cost will be the same as Oyster's pay-as-you-go fares and both daily and weekly fare caps still apply, meaning you won't miss out if you opt to use a contactless debit or credit card rather than an alternative payment solution.

Shashi Verma, TfL's director of customer experience, said: "Customers can look forward to having an easier and more convenient way to pay for their travel, freeing them of the need to top up Oyster credit and helping them to get on board without delay.

"I would like to remind all of our customers to only touch one card on the reader to avoid paying with a card they did not intend to pay with."

This means if you have more than one contactless-enabled card or an Oystercard, you'll have to keep them separate rather than tapping your whole wallet on the reader.

Contactless payment was introduced on all London buses in December last year and TfL says 69,000 payments are made using contactless on London Buses every day.

Trials on the Underground and Overground network were conducted earlier this year when 5,000 customers were invited to take part.

It's hoped the initiative will help cut down queues at ticket offices and top-up machines in some of the busiest stations around London.

Last week, Apple announced its Apple Pay technology will allow customers in the US to pay for goods in shops using their iPhone. It hasn't been announced when the technology will come to the UK, although rumours suggest we'll be waiting until next year.

London's transport network is getting greener, with wirelessly chargeable hybrid buses soon to be tested out by Transport for London (TfL) on the capital's roads.

The buses, Alexander Dennis Enviro400H E400 vehicles, will be fitted with batteries that can be recharged when at special compatible bus stops.

There are currently four buses, which will be tested from next year on Stagecoach's 69 route. The relevant technology will be put in place at Canning Town and Walthamstow stations, where the buses will be able to charge while stationary between journeys.

Though the company have not divulged details of what they expect to come from the trials, the new buses will likely be able to run electronically for most if not all of their journey, thus reducing carbon emissions and pollution in London and elsewhere.

Speaking about the new buses, TfL said: "The buses have a diesel engine that will be used when the battery power on the bus is depleted, but it is anticipated this will only be a small amount of time, meaning emissions on these vehicles are greatly reduced."

TfL has been slowly introducing more and more buses as part of a pilot scheme to make transport in London greener, with the rechargeable hybrid buses following electric buses, zero-emission hydrogen buses and 800 hybrid buses rolled out across the capital.

Mike Weston, director of buses at TfL, said in a statement: "We are continuing our assessment of new technology in the capital that can deliver genuine environmental benefits. This trial of extended-range diesel-electric hybrid buses, utilising the latest inductive charging technology, could be a step closer to getting even cleaner double-deck buses on London's streets.

"We will be closely monitoring the results of the trials, which may help us adopt this new cleaner technology more widely in London."

EE has confirmed its contactless mobile payments system, Cash on Tap, can now be used on 8,600 of the capital's buses.

This means commuters signed up to EE's mobile network and in possession of a Cash on Tap enabled smartphone can now use their devices to pay for bus travel across London.

The firm has also assured users that weekly and daily caps will be put in place to ensure Cash on Tap users are charged the same when using London busses as those sporting Oyster cards.

Therefore, a single bus fare will cost them 1.45, while daily bus fares will be capped at 4.40, which is in line with Oyster travel costs.

Furthermore, from 16 September, Cash on Tap users will also be able to use the service to pay for journeys on the London tube network, DLR and Overground train services.

Cash on Tap was launched by EE in 2013 and allows people to use their smartphones to pay for goods and services worth less than 20 at more than 300,000 locations across the country.

Pippa Dunn, chief consumer marketing officer at EE, said the service will make paying for bus journeys faster and simpler for commuters.

"More people use London's buses than all the other bus services across the country combined, so the need for speedy and simple payment solutions is paramount," said Dunn.

"That's why we've been working hard to bring our contactless mobile payments service, Cash on Tap, to TFL's network removing the need for customers to queue for a ticket, or hunt through their pockets and bags to find the right card."

Contactless payments are fast emerging as the preferred way to pay for lots of people, with data from credit card firm Visa Europe revealing today an 18 per cent rise in the number of people using them to pay for goods between April and May 2014.

In real terms, consumers used contactless card payments during 19.7 million transactions across the UK in May.

That month also set a new record for the total value of transactions made via contactless cards in a single month in the UK, peaking at 126.7 million.

This represents a 14 per cent rise compared to the previous month.

Mark Austin, director of contactless at Visa Europe, said the adoption of contactless payment methods is growing at a "phenomenal" rate.

"[This is] driven by increased consumer awareness, the commitment of UK banks to issue Visa contactless cards and UK retailers activating contactless terminals," he added.

After seeking legal advice over the Uber scandal, Transport for London (TfL) have been told the taxi company's practice of using smartphones and GPS technology to determine fares does "comply with current law on taximeters'.

TfL issued a statement reading: "In relation to the way Uber operates in London, TfL is satisfied that based upon our understanding of the relationship between the passenger and Uber London, and between Uber London and Uber BV, registered in Holland, that it is operating lawfully under the terms of the 1998 PHV(L) Act.

"TfL's view is that smartphones that transmit location information (based on GPS data) between vehicles and operators, have no operational or physical connection with the vehicles, and receive information about fares which are calculated remotely from the vehicle, [and] are not taximeters within the meaning of the legislation."

The popular taxi-tracking smartphone app has previously prompted protests in the UK and Europe after traditional taxi drivers complained the service threatens their livelihoods.

Uber allows customers to tracks cars and book taxis with the app on their smartphone, with 3,000 registered drivers currently operating in London alone.

On Wednesday 11 June, more than 30,000 black cab and limo drivers between London and Berlin stopped for a "go-slow" protest, blocking many tourist areas in the process.

Jo Bertram, Uber's UK and Ireland general manager, said the protest hasn't harmed take-up of its services: "Londoners are voting with their fingers, tapping the app in support of new and innovative services as we see our biggest day of sign-ups in London today since launch two years ago.

"In fact, today we're seeing an 850 per cent increase in sign-ups compared to last Wednesday. The results are clear: London wants Uber in a big way," he said, at the time.

Critics of the app have warned it may lead to unlicensed cabs being accidently booked, while London's cab drivers have complained that Uber taxis are using an app to determine fares, which is the equivalent of a taxi meter and illegal in the capital for vehicles other than black cabs to use.

"We have nothing against competition but we feel that Transport for London has failed Londoners by allowing Uber to operate outside the law," said Steve McNamara, of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association.

TfL has effectively washed its hands of the row, by declaring that it's up to the courts to decide whether or not the widespread use of Uber is lawful.

Director General Simon Walker of the British Institute of Directors has objected to the protests, saying: "Black cabs have been a symbol of London for many decades, known across the world. But symbols, no matter how iconic, cannot be allowed to stand in the way of innovation. Uber and its rival apps are an example of the positive disruption new technology brings, offering consumers new choices about how to travel."

Transport for London (TfL) is trialling real-time travel information tools at a Regent Street bus stop to make it easier for commuters and tourists to navigate the city streets.

The bus stop will be kitted out with an interactive panel displaying real-time information about bus departure times, London Underground network updates and the availability of nearby "Boris Bikes".

Furthermore, the panel will also be able to provide tourists with information about walking routes to local area attractions.

The technology was developed by advertising company Clear Channel UK who plan to analyse the way people interact with the service to improve the quality of information it shares over time.

TfL has confirmed that if the trial is a success, the technology could be rolled out to a number of other key travel hotspots across the capital.

The project is being embarked on as part of TfL's Year of The Bus campaign, which aims to celebrate the role the London bus network has to play in keeping the city moving.

Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said Regent Street was chosen as the trial site because it's a popular destination for commuters and tourists.

"This is another reminder of how technology has transformed how we communicate with our customers and how they want to receive information from us," he said.

"Our customers now rightly regard real time travel information as part of the core service we provide and this is an innovative way we can explore getting information they need to them," Daniels added.

Dave Huckerby, adshel development director at Clear Channel UK, said the project provides a glimpse at what the future of transport technology could look like.

"We're grateful to TfL for working closely with us. Their knowledge and expertise has allowed us to deliver something of real value to Londoners. The next stage of this trial is to monitor and refine the system as people interact with it," he added.

Smart crossings are coming to Balham and Tooting Bec as part of a TfL initaitive designed to ease road congestion and ensure pedestrians, cyclists and drivers can move about London more easily.

Trials of the smart pedestrian crossings - or to give them their proper name, Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) - will run from this summer until the end of the year.

The idea to use smart technoogy to reduce congestion and increase safety was conceived following the influx of people in London during the 2012 Olympics.

The system uses "stereoscopic vision technology" to track pedestrians within specific zones and control traffic signals. SCOOT determines which group of pedestrians should cross next by calculating how many people and waiting and how long they've waited there.

If a large number of pedestrians are crossing the street, the system can increase the crossing time. It cannot decrease the minimum crossing time. There's also an intelligent 'call cancel' function that can determine whether a pedestrian has abandoned plans to cross the road or crossed before the green light to do so.

"I am delighted that London is the first city in the world to be trialling this cutting-edge equipment, which will benefit pedestrians across the city. This really is a fantastic example of how London is leading the way by using 21st century technology to help make it easier for people to get around our great city," said Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

"Innovation like this is key to keeping London moving efficiently and making our roads safer for everyone to use."

The technology may be implemented throughout London if successful in its initial trials. Some 550 crossings at 200 locations spread across 30 London boroughs have been equipped with the Pedestrian Countdown technology. Installation and maintenance costs of the system have not been revealed as of yet.

SCOOT will also not record data on specific people.

Johnson and TfL hope the effort will reduce the deaths and injuries at the busy crossings, as the area around Balham and Tooting Bec has proved deadly in the past. A lorry killed a pedestrian outside Balham Underground Station last January.

Tooting resident Dennis McGoldrick was hit by a number 131 bus outside Tooting Broadway Station, a stop on the same road as Tooting Bec. Tooting councillors have called the Broadway crossing "the most dangerous in Wandsworth."

The Guardian put together a map of cyclist and pedestrian casualties between 2000 and 2010 confirming the area's danger. It shows a cluster of pedestrian fatalities outside both Tooting Bec and Balham stations.

TfL, together with London boroughs, are working together on a number of initiatives with the aim of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the capital's roads by 40 per cent by 2020.

"The London Road Safety Council is proud of the great work that has been done in London to reduce road casualties on our roads, but we are not complacent and recognise that more needs to be done. We welcome these innovative trials and fully support the six road safety commitments being made by Transport for London," said Councillor Val Clark, Chairman of the London Road Safety Council.

"We feel that they provide a vital focus on key areas of concern and provide a framework for strong partnerships to enable further collision and casualty savings to be made in the Capital."

Capita is to take back responsibility for running Transport for London's (TfL) Congestion Charge scheme once its contract with IBM expires in October 2015.

The company was awarded the five-year deal after a 12-month tendering process, and will provide the IT kit needed to run the back office and customer contract centre for TfL's Congestion Charge and LEZ schemes.

Furthermore, it has been asked to improve the delivery of the Congestion Charge scheme through the introduction of direct debit payments for Auto Pay customers, the development of an online registration system, and new reimbursement procedures for NHS patients and staff.

Capita has also secured a contract to supply the IT needed to run TfL's traffic enforcement notice processing scheme, which issues penalty charge alerts for traffic offences that take place within London.

The company is expected to make 145 million over the course of the contracts. Furthermore, TfL also has the option to extend the length of the agreement by a further five years once the original terms expire.

Once the five years are up, TfL will be given the option to extend Capita's involvement with the scheme by another five years.

This isn't the first time Capita has been involved with TfL's Congestion Charge scheme, as it designed, deployed and operated the technology used to run it from launch in February 2003 until February 2009. It was then taken over by IBM.

Andy Parker, deputy chief executive of Capita, said the company's past experience stood it in good stead during the selection process.

"Congestion charging, Low Emission Zones and traffic enforcement play an important role in reducing congestion, meeting emission targets and increasing investment in London's transport and we are looking forward to working alongside TfL once again to improve the experience for road users," said Parker.

Garrett Emmerson, chief operating officer for surface transport at TfL, added: "Capita has been selected to fulfil these contracts because they are well equipped to meet our operational and technical requirements.

"The contract provides good value for money and includes the provision for a number of improvements to the Congestion Charge scheme that will make things easier and more straightforward for customers."

Describe your role in three words.

Leading digital (sorry just two words!!)

Who is your tech hero? And why?

Jakob Nielsen for championing the needs of the user and for offering practical solutions to usability needs.

What does your current role involve?

Leading online services for London transport.

How did you arrive at your current role?

I started as a software user, then went to work for a software vendor. After some years, I moved into product management, followed by online services, leading support, project and technical teams. I became head of online at TfL in 2012.

Did you always want to work in IT?

I've always wanted to work with people and technology is a means to that end for me. I like the technology to be invisible and serve the needs of the people who use it.

What do you enjoy most about your role/working in IT?

I get to work with fantastic teams, colleagues and suppliers to produce leading-edge products customers love. We get to do that for an audience of millions, which is very satisfying.

And what is your least favourite aspect about your role/working in IT?

Bad processes which slows things down and generates poor outcomes. Not to be confused with good processes, which speeds things up and creates better results.

I worked as a software product consultant for Capita Software Services a great introduction to commercial software.

How has the world of IT changed since you first started in the sector?

Cheap and available mobile internet devices have raised expectations for everyone. Customers and staff want to do everything on any device in any place and they want experiences as good as Amazon, Facebook and Google in everything not least at work.

What do you think are the most important skills people wanting to enter the IT job market should have nowadays?

An ability to see the bigger picture, to ask why'. You need great technical skills in whatever discipline you work in, but connecting this with an understanding of user needs will prevent you from creating things people hate to use.

What advice would you give someone thinking of entering the IT jobs market/your younger self?

Be patient, willing to learn, really listen to your customers and stakeholders, be passionate about what you believe and don't be too risk averse. Work with people to make things better.

What is the biggest challenge facing IT professionals at the moment?

People now expect product cycles to be in days and weeks not months and years. This is a challenge to IT which moves in cycles of months and years. Agility becomes the difference between success and failure in many cases. Transforming our businesses to take advantage of digital is key.

What technologies/trends are you currently watching and why?

Anything which makes things better for people, or makes us better at delivering things which work. Responsive design, HTML5, mobile apps, new devices, social media trends, rapid iterative processes, user preferences and behaviours, digital security, open data, cloud, revenue generation and digital transformations are all areas of interest.

Conversely, what current technology/trend are you not interested in and why?

E-readers I like a proper book.

The number of personal devices used by Transport for London (TfL) staff to access corporate resources has increased by 500 per cent since 2010, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

However, it also shows that over the last year adoption has started to level out. Network automation provider Infoblox made the request, which also revealed that Apple iPhones and iPads were by far the most popular personal devices among TfL staff.

In 2010, there were just 106 BYOD devices on the TfL network, which more than doubled to 242 in 2011. The following year saw a 77 per cent increase from 2011 (430 devices), but to date - in 2013 - just a 33 per cent increase has been recorded, amounting to 573 devices. Considering the number of staff working for TfL is around 28,000, the actual take up of BYOD is rather low. "Personal mobiles and tablets are becoming ubiquitous in the workplace and IT directors will need to ensure that these devices can be used safely and securely on the network," said Chris Marrison, EMEA technical director at Infoblox. "Forward thinking organisations are already putting the necessary measures in place to enable improved productivity through BYOD initiatives, whilst safeguarding the organisation's network from unauthorised access attempts which put data at risk." Last year, TfL started rolling out Wi-Fi on the London Underground network so commuters would be able to surf the internet while on platforms at selected stations.

Transport for London (TfL) is giving students the chance to use its open data to create mobile phone apps that tackle common community issues.

The organisation has teamed up with open source education provider Apps for Good to develop the programme, which is geared towards young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented communities within London.

Iris Lapinski, chief executive of Apps for Good, said teaming up with TfL will allow students to gain technical experience in a regulated environment.

"The partnership with TfL will help ensure students create apps that are not only original and creative, but also fully take into account data protection and privacy issues," said Lapinski.

"Integrating these lessons learnt into our courses will significantly improve our work, and the direct feedback and placement opportunities for our students and alumni will create amazing opportunities for them."

Participants will team up with other students to produce applications for mobile phone and social media platforms and - in turn - bolster their technology knowledge and skills.

As well as supplying participants with its open data, TfL said it plans to provide work placements and mentoring opportunities to those that take part, as well as regular feedback on their efforts.

The company said it will also work with Apps for Good to develop case studies on the correct use of open data.

News of the project follows on from an Apps for Good pilot last year that resulted in the creation of an app called Oyster on the Go by two West London-based 14-year-old students. The app allowed Oyster card users to keep track of their balances while on the move.

Chris Macleod, marketing director for TfL, said the project will help it find new ways to make use of its open data.

"The partnership with Apps for Good will ensure young Londoners fully understand the implications of creating third-party apps and will give young people a first-hand understanding of the technology that keeps Londoners moving," he added.

Transport for London (TfL) is planning a major overhaul of its public-facing web services to provide users with improved access to mapping tools and real-time information across multiple devices.

The organisation is responsible for running much of London's transport network, and its website is visited by eight million unique users each month who rely on it for journey planning purposes.

Its web space is comprised of 70 different websites at the moment, covering the full gamut of TfL's services, but the firm hopes to scale this back to around 10 once the refresh is complete.

Speaking at an event in central London earlier today, Phil Young, head of online at TfL, said the company needed to streamline the number of web pages it hosts to make everyday processes easier for customers to navigate.

"The tools are good and they're well used, but they're not integrated together," said Young.

"We have 70 websites in use at TfL...and that means if you're planning a journey and you want to get a fare for that journey and buy a ticket, that's three different web sites...with multiple logins.

"We don't make it as easy for customers as we would like," he added.

Aside from this, the new sites will provide users with better mapping tools, improved access to local and personalised information, and a single sign on for customers.

The content will also be delivered in a "reactive way" that adapts to the size of screen users access it on.

"We have five different mapping platforms...[as we use] something different in Journey Planner that we use for buses, and we've got that fragmentation...and give customers a really inconsistent experience across those platforms," said Young.

To remedy this, the company plans to do away with these multiple platforms (which include Bing Maps, NavTeq and Open Streetmap) and replace it with a Google Maps API, and combine this with the search giant's other location services, including Street View, to help users plan their journeys better.

TfL is planning to introduce a new service based on this set up called Nearby to provide customers with information on all of the "transport assets" around them, explained Young.

For instance, users will be able to track bus and tube departures, and find out where their nearest supply of "Boris Bikes" are.

"Our challenge is moving people around London smoothly, helping them optimise the use of our networks and reduce congestion," he added.

"Enabling people to check their service status and their maps is to make that as good a user experience as we can possibly do."

Work on the project began 10 months ago, and its revamped web presence is expected to enter public beta within the next two month before going live later this calendar year, revealed Young.

"In this space we have to be incredibly agile to move with devices and consumer trends and you can see from our historical development task, 2007 is a long time to leave it before making a significant change," he added.

Virgin Media has announced plans to start charging London Underground users 2 a day to access its Wi-Fi network.

The broadband provider rolled out free Wi-Fi across 72 London Underground stations during the London 2012 Olympics, which customers can use to access the internet on train platforms.

However, the company has now set out plans to scale back the amount of information Tube users can access for free through its Wi-Fi network in the New Year, limiting it to news stories and TfL travel updates.

Full internet access will only be available for free to Virgin Media, Vodafone and EE customers.

Meanwhile, commuters signed up to other mobile networks will be able to purchase day, week and month-long pay-as-you-go passes starting from 2 a day.

The company has also announced plans to connect a further 20 Tube stations to its Wi-Fi network next month, as well as another 28 in the New Year.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said the rollout of free Wi-Fi across the Tube network has been a huge success so far.

"Wi-Fi on London Underground has been an incredible success with over 700,000 people already online and a remarkable million sessions every day."

Gareth Powell, director of strategy and service development for London Underground, added: "Wi-Fi is a great way to keep our Tube customers up-to-date with live travel information and other news and entertainment.

"We are delighted that Virgin Media is giving the majority of Londoners the chance to continue to enjoy WiFi at no extra cost next year and beyond."

Plans to provide mobile coverage on the London Underground have been shelved after mobile operators were unable to agree on a "viable proposal."

Transport for London (TfL) and Mayor Boris Johnson hoped mobile companies would be able to fund the initiative in time for the 2012 Olympics, but confirmed the plans had been ditched yesterday.

Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere and 3 said they had given up on the project for now, but would continue to "explore all other avenues" for installing mobile at a later date.

A statement from the group said they were "disappointed that it will not be possible to deliver such services in time for next year's Olympic games."

"The Mayor and TfL made it clear that - given the financial pressures on TfL's budgets - any solution would have to have been funded through mobile operators with no cost to fare or taxpayers," a TfL spokesperson said.

"The parties were not able to agree a viable proposal and the project is therefore not being progressed at this time."

Chinese company Huawei was in line to provide equipment for the project, potentially putting in 50 million of its own money.

Thales was reportedly set to install and maintain the network, whilst UK mobile operators would have been responsible for connectivity.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said the long-term goal of bringing in mobile remained.

"We are grateful to the companies who explored the possibility of getting full mobile coverage on the tube, although disappointed the genuine problems encountered could not be overcome on this occasion," they added.

The plans to bring Wi-Fi to the Underground are set to go-ahead, however.

"London Underground is currently inviting telecoms companies to tender for Wi-Fi provision at up to 120 stations across the network by June 2012, meaning that passengers will be able to log on to the internet from their laptops or mobile devices at stations before the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games," the TfL spokesperson added.

The London Underground is set to get Wi-Fi connections in 120 of its stations, according to an announcement today.

Transport for London (TfL) has called on telecoms firms to make tenders for the contract to put the Wi-Fi network in place, which will need to be completed by June 2012 just in time for the Olympics.

"A contract will be awarded to the chosen bidder by the end of 2011, which could mean that customers will be able to log on to the internet from their laptops or mobile devices at stations before the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games," read a statement from TfL.

The transport authority had already been running a trial at Charing Cross station with BT Openzone since November 2010. It considered it a success as it was "met with enthusiasm by passengers," so the decision was taken to roll the scheme out.

Unfortunately, despite getting Wi-Fi within the stations, TfL revealed the connections would not work on the tube trains.

The first stage of the roll-out will be to open up the current Wi-Fi used by London Underground staff at 16 stations to the public.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson praised the scheme, saying: "The roll out of Wi-Fi technology across the platforms and public areas of our Tube stations will finally allow Londoners to use mobile devices to pick up their emails, access social media sites and stay in touch with the world above while they traverse our subterranean transport network."

In February, TfL was rumoured to be in talks with Huawei to provide a mobile network on the London Underground.

However, 76 per cent of Londoners surveyed were against the idea, saying it would increase the likelihood of muggings and the cost of their bills.

ANALYSIS: Rumours have been rife this week that London is getting increasingly close to mobile access for voice and data on the Underground.

Both the current mayor, Boris Johnson, and his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, have examined the possibility and pushed to get operators and equipment manufacturers on board with the scheme.

However, previous attempts fell down the proverbial escalator before moving from theory to reality.

It has now been reported widely Huawei will take up the cause by providing the hardware for Transport for London (TfL), with Thales installing the network and various UK operators taking care of connectivity.

But will Johnson's hopes for mobile access on the tube by 2012 remove the barriers to working on the go or just cause more infuriating delays on an already overcrowded network?

Barking mad?

City Hall might be behind the idea of mobile access underground but it seems the public who use the transport services feel quite differently about the whole thing.

Following the rumours, GoodMobilePhones.co.uk carried out a poll to see if Londoners were positive about the idea but feedback could have Huawei worried.

More than three-quarters (76 per cent) of the 1,000-plus London residents over the age of 18 surveyed said they weren't in favour of mobile connectivity on the underground and a raft of reasons flowed from the commuters.

Top of the list was an assumed higher risk of mugging, with 31 per cent using this as their justification. A baffling 16 per cent had concerns it would increase their monthly bills, whereas an understandable 14 per cent said they just didn't want to have to listen to other people chatting on their mobiles.

"The news of the underground mobile network certainly has caused quite a stir, but I am surprised to see so many people are against it," said Mark Owen, GoodMobilePhones.co.uk's founder.

"There are obviously risks with having increased usage of mobile phones on the tube, but these are things that can be sorted. Having an underground mobile phone network is the next logical step, following in the footsteps of Paris and Hong Kong, who have had no major problems."

So Owen might be for it and the public might be against it, but what are the real benefits for businesses if we get this increased access on our way to work?

Rob Bamforth, principal analyst at Quocirca, claimed there could be some real positives for the commuter.

"[With] data the ability to do email, get news or find out about timings and platforms of connecting trains etc might be really useful," he told IT PRO.

"In many respects that might offload the network overcrowding impact at locations, such as mainline stations, as commuters might have already done what they needed to do en route."

Bamforth also thought many would enjoy being able to use their mobiles either for "distraction or business" but rules would need to be put in place to keep everyone happy.

"Given the noise, packed carriages etc voice calls would be a bit of a pain for both those making and those surrounding them," he added.

"If they need to shout to be heard, that's a recipe for arguments and we'd need to see more quiet zones' or something similar."

Mile End of the road

Despite all the noise about mobile underground this week, there is still a long way to go until we hit this final destination.

On Monday, Johnson spoke at Finsbury Park Station to highlight the fall in crime on the capital's public transport network but could not avoid the questions around mobile coverage.

He said it was both "commercially" and "technically difficult" and urged caution about getting too far ahead of ourselves.

Admitting a lot of people wouldn't be pro the idea, Johnson said: "We have been unable to do it because our tunnels are so narrow, but in the long run it is progress. I think it is the way to go and we have got to give people the ability to text and perhaps have some coverage for voice telephony."

He added: "The issue is not so much the Chinese company that is offering to help or security issues. The issue is the technology given we have got very old and narrow tunnels. I am not ruling it out but I am not ruling it in either.

"It is on the way but do not count your chickens."

Transport for London (TfL) has remained tight-lipped over reports it will work with Huawei to bring mobile connectivity to the Underground.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson hopes to install a mobile network on the tube in time for the 2012 Olympics.

TfL has confirmed little, explaining it is still in talks with a range of providers.

"Transport for London and the Mayor of London are currently in discussion with mobile phone operators and other suppliers about the potential provision of mobile phone services on the deep tube network," a spokesperson said.

"Given the financial pressures on TfL's budgets, any solution would need to be funded through mobile operators with no cost to fare or taxpayers. Discussions are ongoing."

Over the weekend, the Financial Times reported Chinese manufacturer Huawei was close to securing an agreement with TfL, which would mean it would supply the telecoms equipment for the service.

Thales would install and maintain the network, whilst UK mobile operators would be responsible for connectivity.

Huawei confirmed it was in the bidding process to win the contract, but would not elaborate, citing business confidentiality reasons.

Concerns have been raised that enabling the use of mobile phones on the tube could aid terrorist activity on the public service.

Despite these worries, many are pleased that such connectivity is at least technologically possible now.

Richard Thurston, Ovum analyst, felt relieved progress was finally being made after a number of delays to the project.

"The London Underground has been one of the UK's worst mobile blackspots and is almost unique among major European city metro networks in not having mobile coverage," he said.

"Now Londoners can look forward to being more productive on the move. This network will bring real and measurable economic benefits that the UK badly need."

However, he was not convinced the mobile network would cover the entire Underground in time for 2012.

"The project has been delayed for years because of revenue sharing, infrastructure sharing and installation challenges," Thurston added.

"Most of those challenges remain, and we expect this project will continue to prove troublesome."

Mobile coverage may be coming to the London Underground within the next two years, according to reports.

The Sunday Telegraph claimed Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, was in talks with UK mobile operators to see if the task could be achieved in time for the Olympic Games in 2012.

However, this is not the first time the proposal for mobile signal on the tube has been made and past plans have faced severe delays.

Ken Livingstone asked for pitches on how best to bring a mobile network to the transport network back in 2005 and plans were even hatched to trial technologies on the Waterloo and City line.

But in 2009 Transport for London (TfL) claimed no "credible" tenders had been brought forward, so the scheme was frozen.

Questions still hang over how such an expensive project estimated to cost hundred of millions of pounds would be funded but, when the plans emerged five years ago, a promise was made that operators would foot the bill rather than the taxpayer.

If Johnson manages to reignite the strategy, it could pave the way for further underground access such as Wi-Fi or DAB radio, as Livingstone had initially planned.

IT PRO contacted the Greater London Authority for confirmation of the plans, but it had not responded to our request at the time of publication.

Transaction Systems' (TranSys) role in maintaining the Oyster card system for Transport for London (TfL) has come to an end.

The last remaining member of the consortium Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) now takes over full responsibility for its running and future development.

Cost cutting by TfL and a stormy period of service problems in 2008 resulted in the renegotiation of the contract. One of the worst failures resulted in Oyster card users enjoying a day of free travel.

Even the renegotiation did not run smoothly as the other remaining member of the originally four-strong TranSys consortium EDS, now part of HP, failed in an attempt to prevent CTS from taking sole responsibility.

John Stout, TranSys' chief executive, said: "The Prestige Project including the design and implementation of the Oyster smartcard has been an outstanding success. TranSys is very proud to have been involved in this high profile project for the last twelve years."

TranSys will retain advertising rights on ticket gatelines and ticketing media until March 2015.

The Oyster smartcard brand was created in 2003 and was owned by TranSys until earlier this year when it passed to TfL. There are now over seven million cards in regular use and 57 million journeys are made using Oyster every week.

The original consortium comprised Electronic Data Systems (EDS), Cubic Transportation Systems, Fujitsu Services and WS Atkins.

Transport for London (TfL) has cut access to its transport departure data from app developers after the high volume of requests crashed the system.

The Government body, responsible for transport networks across the capital, only opened up the data to third-party developers on 15 June. However, an unprecedented number of people - 10 million a week - asked for access, leading to the London Datastore gateway overloading.

Steve Townsend, director of information management for London Underground, said: "We are really encouraged that the feed to our Tube departure information is so popular and TfL is doing everything to restore it as soon as possible but this may take some time."

He added: "We're sorry for the temporary disruption to this API Beta feed and we will provide an update as soon as we have further information."

Data made available by TfL included train departure times, traffic cameras and the best places to buy an Oyster card. The organisation was also gearing up to add in bus timetables and routes.

However, the server crashes have left the system unworkable and developers will not by allowed access until a redesign is created.

Transport for London (TfL) has admitted it is aware of "some problems" with the payment system used by fleets to pay London's congestion charge.

The IBM-managed system enables fleets, vehicle rental suppliers and other companies whose vehicles regularly enter the congestion zone to receive a 1 discount on the normal 8 congestion charge if they register their vehicles online. The system is then supposed to automatically charge the vehicles when they enter the congestion.

However, a string of complaints have plagued the system since IBM took over management from Capita in November, including from customers who have been overcharged or wrongly issued with fines.

TfL says the problems haven't affected individual paying customers, and claims to have now fixed the problem. "The technical issues have been addressed and the vast majority of accounts are now operating well," a spokesperson told GC News.

"Owing to the nature of fleets, it will take time for this to be reflected in all cases. TfL is working closely with fleet operators to ensure that the system works effectively in the future."

IBM has managed to cut around 75 million in unnecessary administrations costs since taking on the contract.

In addition, the company also overhauled TfL's computer systems to better gear them up for the future a move that TfL estimates will save as much as 200 million over the course of its current business plan.

Once the teething problems have been ironed out, London mayor Boris Johnson says he plans to extend the autopay system to private vehicles.

London's transport network took a massive hit yesterday after an IT error left travellers without the use of the Circle Line for several hours.

The underground line was closed for the entire morning rush after computers used to control signals, dating back to the 1980s, were found to have burnt out.

Although some of the line was up and running again quickly, many parts remained suspended for the rest of the day.

Delays were still troubling commuters this morning on the line, with suspensions between Mansion House and Liverpool Street stations.

Transport for London (TfL) claimed today's problem was down to a new fault and everything was back in working order by midday.

"Our engineers worked through the night to repair the problems which caused yesterday's suspension but a new problem developed this morning," a TfL spokesperson told IT PRO.

They added: "The bottom line is that it's exactly these kind of antiquated assets that we're seeking to replace with the upgrade programme we're carrying out at the moment."

This week has seen storage software sales fall, record security patches, TfL do something right, and a massive hacking attack - oh, and something called an iPhone 3G S.

5.2 the percentage decline in storage software sales, according to IDC. It's the first drop in the sector in five years.

31 the record number of patches Microsoft released this week, alongside Adobe's first ever quarterly update, which addressed 13 flaws. The releases should keep IT admins busy for a while

41 the per cent by which Transport for London has managed to cut its supplier costs, after bringing much of its IT back in-house. All good news, but after this week's strike, we're still feeling a little bitter here in London.

275 the top price of the Apple iPhone 3G S, the latest gadget to be released to the adoration of fanboys and girls around the globe. O2 won't be letting die-hards out of current contracts though, so upgrade immediately could get pricey.

100,000 the number of websites taken down after a hacking attack hit ISP Vaserv. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

As the capital heads into a 48 hour Tube strike, few will want to hear the good news coming out of Transport for London (TfL) it's getting its IT into shape.

Speaking at the Government Computing Live conference in London today, just hours ahead of the strike, chief information officer Phil Pavitt enthusiastically updated attendees on TfL's IT upgrade and reorganisation.

When Pavitt started at the transportation body two and a half years ago, there were 21 seperate departments and therefore 21 seperate IT departments. The organisation wasn't a big fan of centralising services, he noted. And desktops were all "thick client," while TfL's information was held across 61 data centres.

"There was more hardware from more different vendors than I ever knew existed," Pavitt said.

"The amazing thing is, it all worked," he said, explaining that only made it harder to convince the board it was time to change promising to cover the entire costs out of savings in the IT budget helped swing opinion, though.

Cutting back on outsourcing

One reason TfL's IT was essentially working was that most of it was outsourced. Pavitt said there were 17 outsourcing contracts across TfL's IT, with 95 per cent of its IT staff working for three or four consultancies.

"They outsourced most of the people who had knowledge," Pavitt said. "Now they're sat looking in at us."

That outsourcing was one of Pavitt's targets when he started a 24 month strategy to sort out TfL's IT. "Just to get permanent staff was an achievement," he said, but he's managed it. With six months left to go until the 24 months are up, he said the ratio of permanent staff to consultants has now flipped as many as 95 per cent are now inhouse.

"Two years ago, third parties were the first port of call," he explained. "Now we are managing it all." That said, headcount is down by a fifth. Pavitt said TfL outsourced hundreds of employees, but didn't bring hundreds back. It didn't need to, as the IT department is now more efficiently run, he claimed.

He's also managed to cut supplier costs by 41 per cent, partially by keeping things inhouse. Pavitt said he's known as a "serial insourcer" but for good reason: TfL can do things cheaper in house than out. That makes "staff and the organisation very excited, but the industry less so," Pavitt admitted.

Other cost savings could kick in later, too. Pavitt noted that much of TfL's front end, consumer facing tech such as the Oyster card system is outsourced. Some of it has to be, but as other contracts come up, the organisation's new infrastructure strength means back end functions like billing can be insourced. They may not be for cost or political reasons, but Pavitt said it's good to have the ability to make those choices.

Other IT changes

There have been other changes, too. Within 18 months, Pavitt's team had updated end user tech, cut the number of data centres to three, and reworked hosting systems. Some 60 per cent of TfL's platforms are now common across the organisation, closing in on the target of 75 per cent.

TfL was also moved onto thin client desktops, saving 61 per cent by putting staff on systems worth about 800 compared to full systems worth thousands. This is no small savings, as TfL is huge. Pavitt claimed he has 11,000 seats on thin client, which he said is the biggest such deployment in the world.

A major driver of change at TfL has been moving IT to a pay as you go (PAYG) model. Pavitt said IT was being used to prop up inefficient management. For example, supervisors unable to properly manage their staff's workload would ask IT to block distractions like Facebook. Now, such managers would have to pay to use IT in such a way.

Using a PAYG model also helped cut liscening fees. Pavitt described one department as demanding 380 users get access to an expensive application. His team happily delivered, but months later, the manager noted only 31 people were ever using it. To cut costs, the others lost access saving 150,000 in wasted liscencing costs.

"Suddenly, the cost drivers were no longer IT but more the financial directors," Pavitt said.

While the IT overhaul is set to finish in January or February of next year, there are still tech challenges remaining, Pavitt noted. The Olympics are fast approaching, and the Greater London Authority is also pushing for more integration between the Met Police, TfL and its own data, Pavitt said.

Transport for London's (TfL's) chief information officer Phil Pavett will leave for HMRC in September.

TfL was Pavett's first public sector role, as prior to this he was CIO at OneTel and NTL, according to HMRC.

His new job will involve leading around 1,400 staff as well as a managing a capital budget in excess of 1 billion. He will have to support the work of around a fifth of the civil service at HMRC.

He has also been issued with the brief of making HMRC's IT "world class", and will be a member of the executive committee, in support of the chief executive.

Projects like iBus were carried out when he was TfL CIO. The 117 million Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) project that provided an advanced bus communication systems with satellite tracking and GPRS.

Last year, Pavitt criticised public service IT, claiming that it was not providing enough personalised technology that was focused on the user.

He also said that the people were critical of public service IT due to their ignorance of smaller technology schemes as well as stories of big IT failure.

New technology being trialled by Transport for London (TfL) will automatically prevent bus drivers from speeding.

The Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) system would allow TfL to cut off acceleration when a driver takes a bus over the speed limit. Such controls can be disabled if necessary, however.

Alternatively, the system can be used to simply display the speed limit alongside a happy face or scowling face, depending on whether the driver is at the right speed.

ISA is based on a digital speed limit map created by TfL earlier this year, which is regularly updated. TfL noted that GPS manufacturers can also use the map to offer speed limit warnings in their own Sat nav devices.

"ISA is intended as a road safety device, but if Londoners embrace this technology we may well see additional benefits including reduced congestion as a result of collisions and reduced vehicle emissions as drivers adopt a smoother driving style," said Chris Lines, head of TfL's London Road Safety Unit, in a statement:

"We know the technology works, and now we want to know how drivers in all types of vehicles respond to it," Hines added.

Over the summer, one London bus will trial ISA, but TfL said its Road Safety Unit wants to test the tech in taxis as well as 20 of its own engineering and road inspection vans.

Southwark Council is already asking to use ISA in 300 of its vehicles, according to TfL.

Councillor Jeff Hook, executive member for environment at the council, said: "This technology could revolutionise the way we keep our roads safer in Southwark, and that's why we're really interested in this trial, and if it's successful we hope to kit out our entire fleet of nearly three hundred vehicles as soon as funding allows."

The results of the trial will be sent to the Mayor's office and published next spring, with the tech commercially available as early as next year, TfL said.

Click here to read how TfL is looking to use technology in travel.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it is freezing plans to offer mobile phone services on the underground.

"London Underground tendered for a trial of mobile phones on the Waterloo and City line, but the market has yet to provide us with a credible proposal for enabling mobile phone use on the Tube," said a TfL spokesperson.

The initial search for supplier proposals began in March 2005 when Ken Livingstone, then Mayor, asked suppliers to pitch suggestions that would provide mobile phone coverage, as well as the possibilities of other technologies such as wifi, DAB radio and DVB digital video broadcasting for the transport network, but in that time none of the proposals were deemed suitable.

O2 already runs a similar programme on the Glasgow underground but, due to the credit crunch, the London version will now be put on hold with no real indications as to when it might be revived, if at all.

The spokesperson continued: "While it is technically possible to deploy mobile phone and data wireless solutions on the deep level Underground tunnels and stations, the unique nature and environment of the Tube mean that project costs would be prohibitively high at this time."

The announcement comes in a week where the Evening Standard reported London's transport network as "approaching bankruptcy" and blamed a 1.4 billion hole in TfL's 5 billion budget on the privatisation of the tube.

Transport for London (TfL) has replaced its terminated Oyster card deal with the TranSys consortium - with a new contract involving two major investors in the original group.

The contactless card-based ticketing system for London's public transport system will now be delivered and further developed by the TranSys consortium's leaders, Cubic Transportation Systems and EDS.

Over the summer, the back-end systems for the Oyster network fell over twice in a matter of weeks forcing TfL to offer free travel to Londoners across the Underground network, as the six million cards in use couldn't be scanned.

TfL opted to leave its 100 million, 17-year contract with TranSys early, with the aim of cutting costs. It was set to end in 2015, but will now end in 2010, when the new three-year contract kicks in.

TranSys is a public finance initiative (PFI), made up of TfL, Cubic and EDS. Shareholders also include Fujitsu and WS Atkins Consultants.

The new contract ensures TfL will be able to keep the Oyster brand, despite concerns to the contrary. The travel body could not divulge the cost of the contract, but a TfL spokesman told IT PRO it offered "significant savings."

Indeed, Shashi Verma, TfL's director of fares and ticketing, said in a statement: "This new deal will see Oyster in the pockets of Londoners for years to come and will save significant money that TfL will invest in improving transport in the capital." EDS will be responsible for maintaining the network of Oyster top-up points in shops and stations, as well as procuring the smartcards. Cubic will handle the rest of the contract, with TfL taking on a few more aspects of the management, the spokesman said.

Late buses, over-crowded trains, and irritating commuters are enough to make any public transport user want to rant, but Transport for London (TfL) wants you to save your voice and do it online.

TfL has launched a new social networking site, dubbed Together for London', which features polls, discussion groups and other ways of sharing the good - and the bad - opinions about public transport in the capital.

The site also lets users create their own little avatar and campaign pledge along the lines of "I'll keep my feet off the seats" and buy t-shirts with their own slogans.

"People from all walks of life meet everyday on public transport and what's acceptable behaviour to some may irritate or make others feel uncomfortable," said Peter Hendy, transport commissioner.

"This campaign is not about crime, but about inconsiderate behaviour which fuels the disproportionate fear of crime on and around public transport in London," he added.

While the site can be used to vent or to ask for more politeness, curse-filled rage will be kept to a minimum, as it is fully moderated.

At the moment, a user named Fzub' is asking: "Would you people who use the 140 bus to Heathrow at 6:00 in the morning turn your bloody mobile phones off?"

The creatively named anotheruser' called for better braking: "I've never driven a bus but I do drive a car so am able to understand that keeping your foot on the brake whilst stuck in traffic isn't that hard."

But some users aren't so sure how useful the site will be. One user named Realistic' asks: "Do you think that the people that you are too afraid to talk to on public transport (because you want to avoid a discussion or avoid getting stabbed or punched or whatever else) would join this "hairy fairy" website?"

Social working is making its way into the enterprise, too - read our feature to find out more.

Transport for London (TfL) is looking to new tech to deliver ticketing on public transport in the capital, potentially replacing the Oyster swipe card.

TfL told the London Assembly this week that it was looking at new smartcards, bank cards or even mobile phones to replace the ageing and beleaguered Oyster system in 2010 potentially losing the brand name in the process.

Last month, the Oyster was twice hit with bugs which took the system down, leading TfL to end its contract with provider TranSys. The chip in the card has also been hacked, leading some to worry about the security of the system.

Barclaycard already offers a credit card with built-in Oyster card, while TfL has previously trialled mobile ticketing.

Will Judge, the head of future ticketing at TfL, told the assembly that the new system must be contactless, fast and convenient.

Despite the troubles with contractor TranSys, TfL has no plans to develop new technology in-house, Judge said, adding that the transport body would save millions of pounds by abandoning the private finance initiative (PFI) contract in favour of a more standard one.

TfL is looking to break any new contract up into modules to be given out individually, mimicking the way the congestion charge has been contracted out.

Judge also said that such ticketing whether Oyster or a new version is likely to be extended to London's riverboat network next year, as well as on the rail network.

TfL terminates 100 million Oyster contract early

Transport for London decided to take advantage of a clause in its contract and ended a 100 million contract seven years early. The question is was it to do with recent mishaps such as the system failing twice in the space of a week and research which revealed that the Oyster cards could be hacked? TfL claimed that it was a cost cutting measure and nothing to do with these incidents but they surely couldn't have helped.

Criminal gangs targeting Chip and PIN readers

IT PRO reported how researchers managed to hack Chip and PIN devices earlier this year, so it was only a matter of time before the criminal world joined in. Evidence of this came when police raided a factory which contained all the equipment needed to steal numbers and create fake cards. This only goes to show that once technology like Chip and PIN is out there, it's doesn't take long for somebody to try and take advantage of it.

Government wants to store all text, email and browsing data

Many would look upon new Government proposals to store billions of incidents of data exchange' as another step towards a Big Brother state. Not only the police but local councils, health authorities, Ofsted and even the Post Office will be able to access information. It raises the age-old question about protecting the public versus the issues of civil liberty would you be happy for outsiders to see your browsing or email habits?

Dell shows off new Latitude business laptops

The entire Dell Latitude line aimed at the business market is upgraded, with the company claiming that changes such as a new colour scheme, longer battery life and better durability were made because of consultations with end-users and IT administrators.

Review: BlackBerry Bold

IT PRO editor Chris Green reviewed RIM's Blackberry Bold, and sees whether it is up to the task of competing in a crowded business smartphone market in where Apple, Nokia and others are scrambling to take a piece of the mobile phone pie.

Transport for London (TfL) has ended a 100 million contract for the Oyster fare swipe cards seven years early.

The public finance initiative (PFI) contract with TranSys, a consortium which helped develop and manage the system, started in 1998 and was set to run to 2015, but TfL opted to leave at the ten-year break clause point. There is no cost to TfL for ending the contract early, a TfL spokesman said.

It's the latest controversy to hit the Oyster card system. Last month, the system failed twice in the space of a week, corrupting cards and forcing TfL to let travellers ride for free. At the time, TfL blamed the trouble on TranSys, saying the firm sent them incorrect data tables.

And, researchers recently released a hack to the cards, which could potentially allow them to be cloned.

A spokesman for TfL told IT PRO that the contract break was "unrelated" to the technical difficulties, and had to do with cost savings.

Shashi Verma, TfL's director of fares and ticketing, said in a statement: "As part of this we are looking at more cost effective ways to manage and develop the Oyster card system that we expect will save millions over the next few years. The savings will be reinvested to deliver further improvements in London's transport system."

In a statement, TranSys said: "The London transport system has changed dramatically over the past ten years. For the benefit of all stakeholders, contract negotiations have been taking place over the last year between TranSys and TfL. The TranSys consortium will continue to operate and deliver for the next two years."

The swipe card system was introduced in 2003, and some six million cards are in use across bus, train and underground journeys in London.

Public services are not providing enough personalised technology, according to the Transport for London (TfL) group's chief information officer (CIO).

At London Connects in Westminster, TfL Group CIO Phil Pavitt said that developments in IT for the public services needed to be centred on the individual user but he did not believe this was happening.

Pavitt also said that many members of the public were critical of public service IT due to headlines of big IT failures and their ignorance of many of the smaller successful technology schemes.

He said that his own biggest challenge with TfL was that although there was lots of data available, there was still work to be done on the killer application' of real-time. This allows users to personalise their own journey depending on their route (taking into account disruptions) or other aspects of their lifestyle.

Pavitt said that TfL had been experimenting with technology in order to make travel and transport as personalised as possible, and was working on making a difference with lifestyle.

He said: "[One example] is with the tube map. If you put in key data like height and weight and you get off one stop normally than you would, it will show you how many calories that you will lose walking the distance, rather than travelling the distance."

"Many people would say so what?' but for someone who wanted to make a lifestyle choice, that would be a very important thing to do."

Another big challenge was with foreign visitors, and the fact that millions of people were going to visit London for the Olympics in 2012 who don't have English as their prime language.

"They'll be arriving in London Luton, expecting it to be London, not realising that there is a lot of travel needed to get to the games. These are the challenges that we have for us as well as the whole of government."

TfL also revealed news on its iBus project - a 117m Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) project which started in 2005 and provided an advanced bus communication system involving satellite tracking and GPRS.

Martin Davey, head of TfL's technical services group, said that on the 25 July half of the 8200 London buses will have migrated to the new system, which aims to be complete by early 2009.