This is the second time that Mitie’s transport team has retained the contract, having originally won it in 2004 and keeping it in 2008. The TfL contract has enabled the team to increase by 25 members taking the existing workforce to over 50 people.

Mitie’s transport team is based in south London in its own 3,500m² warehouse, which is the hub for its operations.

Every year the team cleans 19,000 bus stops, installs 165,000 posters and timetables, cleans 6,000 traffic light control units and 7,000 bus shelters (with a further 4,000 to be added now). The cleaning includes the removal of graffiti from all of TfL’s street furniture. They also clean TfL’s eight River Piers.

Mitie’s transport experts also work for major airports and bus and train companies around the UK and have built up an impressive team that focuses on the ‘passenger experience’.

Colin Marshall, Mitie’s transport director, said: “Every passenger journey matters to us and we focus on assisting TfL to make every journey as safe and pleasant as possible.”

Bob Forsyth, managing director of Mitie’s cleaning business, said: “Every day TfL carries six and a half million passengers around London and our dedicated team plays a vital part in this huge effort. We are committed to investing even more into this strategic contract in the years to come.”

Yesterday, Mitie was given preferred bidder status by Rolls-Royce for the FM of its UK and specific European properties.

Subject to contract, this will be one of Mitie’s largest pan-European agreements and will mark the continuation of a relationship with Rolls-Royce which began in 1992 with the provision of a single service in the UK.