Tamar Bridge & Torpoint Ferry Contactless Toll Payment Soft Market Testing Exercise

The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry operation would like to be able to provide efficient credit card services within the toll lanes for the 40% of bridge users currently paying cash on arrival at toll booths, and potentially on board the three ferries at its Torpoint crossing. The major barrier towards progressing this desire has been the significantly increased transaction times associated with chip and pin processing which would have significant impact on traffic flows given that each staffed lane currently processes 500+ transactions per hour during peak times.

Through research of other concession arrangements within the UK and Europe, it is believed the most effective solution would be to provide contactless payment through an integrated terminal to their toll system. Therefore, TB&TF are looking to seek initial soft market testing information and associated outline costings to help inform the provision of such a service via a more formal procurement process for an initial estimated period of two years, with an option to extend for an additional one year.

Any conclusions drawn from this initial exploratory exercise would be subject to the development and approval of a business case, and, as such, this exercise implies no commercial commitment. This is not a formal tender exercise and participation in this soft market assessment will not prejudice suppliers participating in any future procurement.

If you are involved in this area of service provision and would be interested and willing to assist in their assessment of the market, please read the content of the available Soft Market Engagement Document and then please complete the Information Requested in an appropriate format, on and within the Document, or via separate attachments, before returning it electronically, via the Due North Portal by 15:00 hours on Monday 9th July, 2018. TB&TF will use the questionnaire responses, any further supplier interactions and on-going internal analysis to help shape their vision and determine the option they may wish to pursue.

This document is designed purely to inform and for information gathering purposes at this stage. All responses will be treated in confidence.

You are not obliged to submit a return or even a full return and you will not be scored or assessed on your responses in any way. The information provided is merely being gathered to assist in a Soft Market Assessment of the potential for a suitably compatible contactless Toll payment system.

As part of the ongoing information gathering process, we may consider holding some follow up supplier information exchange conversations to explore certain proposals further. TB&TF will decide who to engage with but it should be noted that this does not give any advantage, in relation to any potential future procurement exercise, to those invited over those not invited.

To be clear, once TB&TF has determined the option to pursue, this will be communicated to all respondents to this exercise. Additional information: If the option involves going to market, this will be treated as a separate procurement exercise and advertised accordingly.

As a result of this preliminary exercise, should TB&TF decide to undertake a further more formal Procurement exercise then this would be anticipated to be advertised to the marketplace by the end of July with an anticipated September contract commencement date. This early engagement opportunity is being advertised by Cornwall Council, on behalf of TB&TF which operates via a Joint Committee on behalf of Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council. Please note the background information document outlining the information required is only available via the supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk portal under Project reference DN348182