FOI request detail

Announcements

Request ID: FOI-0026-2122
Date published: 27 April 2021

You asked

I am making a Freedom Of Information Act request to you please. I would like to request that you attach the sound files for the following automated announcements: • London Overground onboard trains automated announcements. • London Overground station platforms automated announcements. • Crossrail (or Elizabeth Line or TFL Rail or whatever you want to call it) onboard trains automated announcements. • Crossrail (or Elizabeth Line or TFL Rail or whatever you want to call it) station platforms automated announcements. • Cable Car onboard automated announcements. • Croydon Tram onboard automated announcements. • Riverbus Ferry onboard automated announcements. • Woolwich Ferry onboard automated announcements. • London Bus ibus onboard automated announcements. • London Bus bus station automated announcements. Now i understand that since the Corona Virus began you keep on refusing these requests based on it not being essential and because you are working from home and do not have access to CDs etc. However i see on What Do They Know that a while ago you uploaded all of the Jubilee Line and Northern Line and Piccadilly Line automated announcements to the What Do They Know website as MP3 files within ZIP files here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/tube_lines_and_dlr_announcement So it is clear that you should be able to upload all these other announcements the same way as MP3 files within ZIP files which should be able to be done from home without anyone having to go to the office and get CDs to use and send out. So i would like to please request that you attach all of the requested sound files to the What Do They Know website just exactly like you did with the Jubilee Line and Northern Line and Piccadilly Line announcements for that other person. I believe that there should be no reason to refuse this as this should be able to be done from home. I look forward to your reply. Thank you very much.

We answered

Our ref: FOI-0026-2122/GH Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 1 April 2021 asking for announcements. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and TfL’s information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require. Please find attached zip files containing River and Woolwich Ferry announcements. Please also note that while access to this material has been provided under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we have not granted any rights to any of the intellectual property that exists in it or granted any permission to make secondary uses of it. TfL owns all intellectual property (including, without limitation, copyright) in the material supplied and will defend such rights. If you wish to make any secondary use of the material provided, you must first obtain the consent of TfL (which may be withheld) and, if consent is granted, a fee may be charged, in accordance with the terms of the Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015. In accordance with the FOI Act, TfL is not obliged to supply the audio files for Emirates Air Line as the information is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2). In this instance section 43(2) has been applied as disclosure of the information requested would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of TfL and/or Global Services Ltd. The recordings in question were provided by Global Services Ltd under a signed contract which contained explicit conditions concerning disclosure and distribution. The contract specifies that the recordings are solely to be used for the purpose for which they were created and for broadcast on the Emirates Air Line network only. If TfL were to disclose these recordings in response to an FOI request, it would constitute an actionable breach of contract and would be likely to result in a valid legal claim against TfL or the license to use the recordings being withdrawn, which would impose additional, unnecessary, costs. TfL wishes to protect its commercial interests and ability to participate in future commercial activity. The disclosure of this information would be to the detriment of present and future business activities for both parties. The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. TfL recognises the need for openness and transparency within public authorities and the degree of interest concerning London transport announcements in light of the recent disclosure of other announcements. However, in this instance this is outweighed by the damage that would be done to TfL’s ability to use these recordings and any future contractual negotiations that may take place regarding these announcements. Due to the number and size of the other announcements requested, we are unable to send these in zip files by email as requested. We are therefore refusing your request for the iBus, Crossrail, London Overground and Tramlink recordings under section 14(1) of the Act. As you will be aware, it is essential for London, and in particular for all critical workers, that we continue to provide a safe transport network that enables them to make the journeys they need to and our staff are working hard to support them and protect all Londoners. We consider that answering this request would represent a disproportionate effort and would require the redirection of limited specialist resources and the attention of staff away from their core functions who could be supporting other essential activity. We do wish to clarify that whilst we consider that your request falls under section 14(1) of the FOI Act, this does not reflect a conclusion that it has been your intention to place an undue burden on our resources. However, due to alternative working arrangements aligned with the Government’s measures to tackle the coronavirus, the FOI Case Management Team do not currently have access to the necessary hardware required to create CDs of audio announcements in response to FOI requests and so we are unable to process these requests remotely. Additionally, whilst we have also explored alternative technological solutions, it is an unavoidable consequence that processing requests of this nature would require critical employees to be diverted from their operational responsibilities and, in the current circumstances, we consider that our priority must remain on providing and maintaining an effective transport system to essential workers across the capital and that our limited resources are utilised as effectively as possible to ensure that happens. Therefore we are refusing this part of your request under s14 of the FOI Act. Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. Yours sincerely Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London

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