Transport for London (TfL) is planning a £2.4m investment to replace over 10,000 traffic light bulbs with low energy light emitting diodes (LEDs).

The move is aimed at reducing annual energy costs and traffic light maintenance costs as the LEDs last 10 times longer than the light bulbs currently in use. TFL believes that nearly £200,000 of annual energy costs could be saved by LEDs usage.

Nearly 300 junctions have been earmarked for LED fittings. This amounts to 3,500 traffic lights with each signal head containing at least three bulbs.

The department has invited bids from interested companies for the work.

The LED technology has already been trialled in Croydon between January 2007 and August 2008 with good results.

The light replacement is part of the city government’s plans to cut the city’s CO2 emissions by 60% by 2025. It is expected that LED installments in all of the city’s 6,500 junctions with traffic signals will cut CO2 emissions by nearly 12,000 tons a year.

LEDs have already been installed at all London bus roadside ticket machines and 3,500 solar powered bus stops.