Request ID: FOI-0198-2223 Date published: 09 May 2022
You asked
Can I see the report to back up your claim that a thorough investigation has taken place? Because I doubt it's actually happened -- a thorough investigation would have required someone from TFL, Metroline or the council to have observed in detail the condition of the road prior to the route change, and to have regularly checked the state of the road since then to make sure no new damage was being caused by the buses. This clearly hasn't happened because a regular presence by either one would be very noticeable to the residents. In actual fact you can count on one hand the number of times staff from TFL, Metroline or the council have actually walked down our road.
As I said before, last week's temporary downtime is proof that the buses are entirely responsible for the road damage because for first time since the route change no new potholes have appeared. I'm not sure what more evidence you need, especially when it's coming directly from the residents who can see on a daily basis the damage the buses are causing.
Also, for whatever reason the buses started using our road again last Thursday, even though no road repairs were ever carried out. But since the restart the buses are driving down our road at a noticeably slower speed, suggesting they've been instructed to take it easy to avoid further damage. Can you confirm that this is the case? It's not difficult to notice the change in driver behaviour because the vibrations of the buses were causing my front door to shake on its hinges, and this isn't happening now they're going a little slower.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0198-2223
Your request of 19th April 2022 - detailed below - asking for a copy of the report into the impact of buses on Salisbury Road, Barnet, upon the tarmac of the road surface has been passed to me to consider.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Please find attached the information we hold in relation to your request. The pictures which accompany the email exchange were taken by Metroline Ltd when they went for the inspection in January. There is no other “report” aside from this material. Note that a small number of redactions have been made under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, the exemption that protects against the unfair release of personal data.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
