Transport for London has today announced London on the Move, the capital’s first network-wide, five-year strategy covering the full extent of London’s road network. While framed publicly around congestion reduction, bus reliability and safety, the plan represents a deeper structural shift in how London’s streets will be managed, monitored and controlled through to 2030.
For contractors, utilities and delivery teams operating on London’s roads, this is not simply a transport policy document. It is a clear signal that roadspace access, programme planning and compliance expectations are entering a more data-driven, coordinated and enforcement-led phase.
A Single Operating Vision for London’s Roads
TfL manages one of the most complex urban road networks in the world, including more than 6,400 signalised junctions and crossings. Until now, road management has often been fragmented between red routes, borough roads and individual schemes.
London on the Move is the first attempt to unify that system under a single operating strategy, with TfL and boroughs aligning how roadworks, traffic signals, bus priority and safety interventions are planned and controlled.
For delivery organisations, this means fewer isolated decisions and more network-wide consequences. Individual works will increasingly be assessed not just on local impact, but on how they affect corridor performance, bus reliability and network resilience.
Lane Rental Expansion Changes Programme Risk
One of the most immediate implications for contractors is the expansion of TfL’s Lane Rental scheme beyond red routes and onto borough roads.
Lane Rental charges apply when works take place on the busiest roads at the busiest times. TfL has confirmed that, as of January 2026, four boroughs already have Department for Transport approval to operate Lane Rental schemes, with a further 22 boroughs progressing applications. Government proposals to devolve approval powers directly to the Mayor would further accelerate this rollout.
For contractors, this fundamentally alters programme risk:
- Poorly phased works will carry direct financial penalties
- Temporary works durations will face greater scrutiny
- Out-of-hours working and accelerated methods will become the default expectation, not an exception
The practical consequence is that traffic management, sequencing and permit strategy can no longer be treated as secondary planning tasks. They will increasingly determine whether a scheme remains commercially viable.
Smarter Signals, Less Tolerance for Disruption
TfL’s FUSION traffic control system already sits at the heart of London’s road network. Under London on the Move, TfL will upgrade FUSION to analyse a wider range of data inputs and react faster to congestion.
TfL estimates these upgrades could reduce delays by up to 14% and deliver £1 billion in economic benefits through reduced journey times.
For construction and utility works, this creates a new reality: congestion caused by roadworks will be more visible, more measurable and harder to justify. Signal systems will increasingly expose the downstream impacts of poorly coordinated works, strengthening TfL’s position when challenging permits, durations and methodologies.
AI-Enabled Monitoring Becomes Normalised
TfL is also expanding the use of Vivacity AI cameras across London. Unlike traditional traffic counters, these systems distinguish between different users of the road network, including pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, buses, taxis and heavy goods vehicles.
Access to insights from over 1,000 cameras will be shared with boroughs under new data-sharing agreements.
For contractors, this matters because:
- Site impacts on vulnerable road users will be easier to evidence
- Pedestrian and cycle delays will carry greater weight in decision-making
- Claims that disruption is minimal will increasingly be tested against objective data
This aligns with a wider shift towards evidence-based compliance, where assumptions are replaced by recorded, analysable performance.
Bus Priority Moves from Policy to Enforcement
Bus reliability is a central pillar of the plan. TfL has committed to expanding bus priority technology from the current 2,080 signalised junctions to all 3,500 signals used by buses by 2030.
In parallel, TfL will move away from isolated signal reviews and instead assess entire bus corridors, adjusting signal timings across full routes.
For contractors, this means works affecting bus routes will face:
- Higher approval thresholds
- Stronger conditions around working hours and staging
- Increased pressure to reduce occupation lengths
Bus routes will be treated as strategic assets, not just another constraint to be managed locally.
Coordination Becomes Mandatory, Not Optional
TfL’s BusSense programme, which coordinates high-impact works to reduce disruption on bus routes, has already demonstrated measurable improvements in journey times. TfL plans to roll this out across all boroughs by autumn.
The wider message is clear: siloed delivery is no longer acceptable on London’s roads. Utilities, contractors and boroughs will be expected to align programmes, share data and adjust sequencing to protect network performance.
Those unable to demonstrate coordination risk facing permit refusals, financial penalties or enforced programme changes.
Safety, Vision Zero and Permanent Scrutiny
London on the Move also aligns closely with TfL’s forthcoming Vision Zero Action Plan 2, reinforcing a safety-first approach to street design and operation.
TfL has already achieved record lows in people killed or seriously injured on London’s roads outside pandemic years, alongside significant growth in cycling journeys. This safety context underpins everything in the new plan.
For delivery teams, this reinforces that safety measures, visibility requirements, temporary layouts and traffic management arrangements will continue to tighten, not relax, even where programme pressure is intense.
What This Means for Contractors
Taken together, TfL’s announcement marks a clear shift in how London’s roads will be governed through to 2030. For contractors, the implications are structural:
- Roadspace is becoming a managed, priced and optimised asset
- Data will increasingly override judgement and precedent
- Programme logic must align with network performance, not just contractual milestones
- Poor coordination will carry direct financial and reputational consequences
London on the Move signals that London’s road network is entering a phase where construction delivery, traffic management and digital oversight are inseparable. For those prepared to adapt, the framework offers clarity and predictability. For those relying on legacy working practices, the next five years will be increasingly difficult to navigate.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus
Founder, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |
