TfL Video Management System (TVMS)

Transport for London (TfL) operates a number of surveillance camera systems in support of the services it provides across London. These are used for a variety of purposes including traffic management, traffic enforcement, incident management, security monitoring and health and safety management and by numerous stakeholders, including operational control rooms, third parties such as emergency services and other local and national highway authorities.

TfL is exploring opportunities to replace its current TfL ‘Streets and Tunnels’ Video Management System (VMS), covering the road network and road tunnels, with a single new cost effective, scalable, fit for purpose VMS solution (the new TfL VMS solution). Whilst it is expected that initial focus will be on ‘Streets and Tunnels’, the new TfL VMS solution will also need to be capable of scaling to incorporate components and system interfaces from TfL Bus Station (and potentially River Pier) sites.

It is expected that the new TfL VMS solution will allow TfL to fully utilise current and future open standards within the video and security marketplace and to embrace the evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data technology landscape to deliver efficiencies and other improvements. This will enable TfL to deliver its strategic objectives as a transport authority and provide a step change in the use of visual derived data and information. The new TfL VMS solution must support a number of existing legacy components, including CCTV cameras, and provide system interfaces for multiple internal operational systems consuming video and associated video data. The TfL VMS solution will also need to provide and accept video streams to and from third parties using suitable industry adopted protocols and standards.

Additionally, it should support real-time video to web-based user interfaces so that the business can deliver services more easily and inexpensively to business units within TfL and other selected stakeholders, including operational control rooms, third parties such as emergency services, and other local and national highway authorities.

From a Bus Station (and potentially River Piers) perspective, the new TfL VMS solution will need to consider that TfL Bus Stations (and potentially River Piers) have limited remote access capability and separate CCTV systems with on-site video recording capability to support crime prevention and incident investigation. It is likely that TfL Bus Station (and potentially River Pier) connectivity will be limited to remote viewing capability and current onsite Bus Station (and potentially River Pier) recording solutions will not be replaced.