Declaration regarding the shelter contract with Valo Smart City – Newsroom

Croydon Council is moving to terminate its contract with Valo Smart City to deliver bus shelters in the borough.

Jason Perry, Chief Executive of Croydon, said: “This is an incredibly frustrating and unacceptable situation that has arisen with the procurement of the contract to provide new bus shelters with digital advertising screens in 2020.

“The council awarded this contract in 2021 to Valo Smart City, who had no track record of delivering such a contract in the UK and had failed to deliver a single bus shelter in our borough.

“Worst of all, all existing shelters have been removed, leaving residents homeless and facing a third winter in the cold.

“Since I was elected in May 2022, many attempts have been made to arrange a work plan to deliver the shelters; deadlines were changed, negotiations took place, and none of this led to a satisfactory outcome. Our residents have waited long enough.

“Bus shelters and street furniture are an important part of the transport network and street scene and I am determined that we need to restore them for the benefit of commuters, residents and businesses. The council is taking immediate action to terminate the contract with Valo Smart City and we have informed them of our intention to pursue damages. In the meantime, council officers are looking at our options to get bus shelters back on our streets as soon as possible.”