ICT13733 Lost Property Office (LPO) System Replacement

The TfL Lost Property Office (LPO) is an institution. The Baker Street office opened in 1933 and remained there for 86 years until it moved to Pelham in 2019. The Lost Property Service was initially provided for customers out of a sense of goodwill and propriety. Under the London Transport (Lost Property) Regulations 1971 legislation the importance of this service was recognised as it became a legal requirement. This is extended to cover bus services in the London Transport Act 1982 and taxis in the London Cab Order 1934.

Prior to April 2020 and the recent Covid-19 Pandemic the lost property office would receive upwards of 1200 items a day, which it must store and track. These items are held for 3 months during which time about 20% are claimed. After that time the unclaimed items become the property of TfL. These are either donated to charitable causes or auctioned off to recover some of the expense of running the LPO.

TfL’s reputation is known for two key elements: the reliability of its services, and its customer service. The LPO forms a key part of the latter. The LPO is such a well-established institution that customers expect this to be provided and beyond being a legal requirement, it is highly valued and regarded.

The failure to provide a fit-for-purpose functioning Lost Property Service would compromise TfL legally, and could damage our reputation.

Sherlock is the current computer system used to manage lost property when it arrives at the Lost Property Office (LPO) in Pelham. Sherlock enables users to track the details and locations of items, as well as how long they have been in the LPO. It has been in use since the early 2000s and needs replacing.