Transport for London (TfL), the UK capital’s publicly owned transport operator, has confirmed its role in the new pedestrian signage which has appeared around Tsim Sha Tsui’s tourist hotspots.

The Hong Kong Transport Department launched the pilot scheme last Thursday with five “legibles,” two fingerposts and five wall-mounted signs in an effort to encourage walking. They are located at footpaths along the Tsim Sha Tsui section of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road, and also inside a pedestrian subway at Kowloon Park Drive.

The department had said the plan took a year to formulate and cost HK$3 million. It may be expanded to other areas in Hong Kong in two years if the results are satisfactory.

The department said the scheme was based on overseas experience in London, New York and Sydney, but did not initially reveal who was behind the design of the new signs.

On Monday night, TfL revealed on social media that the scheme was the first deal struck by its newly formed consulting arm. The new service was launched by London mayor Sadiq Khan in order to pursue overseas opportunities and generate revenue to reinvest in the capital’s transport network.

“We’re helping the Hong Kong Transport Department get more people walking in the city,” TfL said.

The new legibles in Tsim Sha Tsui show the pedestrian network within the district, key destinations and landmarks of visual significance. They also provide information on walking times.

The Transport Department said it will continue to focus on its “Walk in HK” programme with a view to “making walking an integral part of Hong Kong as a sustainable city.”

Earlier this year, the Yau Tsim Mong District Council voted to shut down the pedestrian zone at Mong Kok’s Sai Yeung Choi Street South.