TfL Ref: FOI-0280-2425

Thank you for your revised request which we received on 23 April 2024, asking for information about reports of pest control, covering years 2022 and 2023.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You specifically asked: 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please can you provide me with information on pest control at your organisation.

Could I ask for data relating to just 2022 and 2023.

The total number of reports of pests at your organisation in each of the calendar years.

Could it include offices and/or retail spaces too please.

If possible, the total number of reports of pests on trains at your organisation in each of the calendar years.

Almost all of the issues with pests on the TfL network, such as rodents and pigeons, have been at stations or in depots or under bridges rather than on the trains themselves.

Please see the table below for pest reports at stations, depots and train crew accommodation.

Please see the table below for pest reports at the Head offices. 

Please see the table below for residential and commercial common areas.

The total cost of pest control to your organisation in each of the calendar years.

We do not hold an overall cost for pest control. TfL has several contracts that involve pest management in its different business areas. The method of apportioning pest control costs varies according to the contract type, for example in some cases there is a specific contracted service for this and in others, pest control is one element of a larger contract fee.

As there is no single source of information for spending on pest control, to provide the requested figures would require gathering information from across a number of contracts across several business areas for the years in question. To collate and retrieve the requested information would exceed the appropriate limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. 

If possible, the total number of times a train was delayed or part or fully cancelled due to issues with pests in each of the calendar years.

Our system does not report on train delays or cancellations caused by pests. We would have to carry out a manual text search of the disruption descriptions to see if they contain terms that would be considered pest, such as rodents etc. This would of course increase the processing time required to respond to you. 

To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. For example, you may wish to limit the time period or the mode of transport you are requesting the pest control data for. 

Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.

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

Eva Hextall 

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London