Request ID: FOI-0029-2324 Date published: 28 April 2023
You asked
We wish to make a request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the following terms.
We are interested in understanding the incidences involving Wrightbus New Model Routemaster Buses
(popularly known as the ‘Boris master” and “Boris Bus’) from their introduction into service within
both Greater and Central London in February 2012 to the present day.
Specifically, we request that you provide such any and all such information as you have within your
possession custody or power howsoever relating to the following:
• Any investigation or report in respect to or in any way appertaining to the design or function
of the braking system and operation and brake pedal position on this model of bus, providing full
particulars.
• Relevant communications between yourselves and the manufacturer/supplier(s) of this model of bus
in respect to the foregoing matters.
We look forward to hearing from you within your 20-working day response turnaround, as indicated on
your webpage.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0029-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 4th April 2023 asking for information about Wrightbus new model Routemaster buses.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act / Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“We are interested in understanding the incidences involving Wrightbus New Model Routemaster Buses (popularly known as the ‘Boris master” and “Boris Bus’) from their introduction into service within both Greater and Central London in February 2012 to the present day.
Specifically, we request that you provide such any and all such information as you have within your possession custody or power howsoever relating to the following:
• Any investigation or report in respect to or in any way appertaining to the design or function of the braking system and operation and brake pedal position on this model of bus, providing full particulars.
• Relevant communications between yourselves and the manufacturer/supplier(s) of this model of bus in respect to the foregoing matters.”
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, I am afraid that it is not possible to source the requested information within the £450 costs limit set out under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act. This is for the same reasons as explained in our previous response under case reference FOI-3302-2223. In that reply we explained that the costs exemption applied “...largely on account of the request for “any communications” between TfL and the manufacturer. In order to determine what might be held, going back over a decade, we have run an automated search of TfL staff email accounts for any emails with “@wright-bus.com” containing any of the keywords “brake”, “braking” or “brakes”. This has returned 2,458 hits. To determine which of these emails do and do not fall within the scope of your request we would have to individually review each one. In order to achieve that within the £450 costs limit that we would have to locate and review over two emails per minute. This is not achievable...”. It was then suggested that, “In order to bring your request within the costs limit you may wish to narrow the scope further. For example, you could remove the element asking for “all communications”.
In your latest request you are still asking for all “Relevant communications between yourselves and the manufacturer/supplier(s) of this model of bus in respect to the foregoing matters”. Given the previous explanation, the costs exemption still stands for the exact same reasons.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
