Request ID: FOI-0353-2324 Date published: 30 May 2023
You asked
bus journey times from 2019- 2023 (present)
I appreciate that many or these bus services are outsourced, but these Bus companies, will have provided you with the relevant data to show running timetable data , as advertised for these dates which I have queried.
As such , you should be able to supply the factual data in regards to scheduled timetables and the actual time taken to complete those journeys, within the period that I’ve have specified.
I just require raw data on bus timetables over this period within the borough of Lewisham and factual data on the subsequent time taken to complete those bus journey times, within the period I have specified
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0353-2324
Thank you for your request which we received on 4 May 2023, asking for information about bus journey times from 2019- 2023 in the London Borough of Lewisham. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy.
I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. Our database only holds detailed data for two years.
Unfortunately, to provide the amount of information you have requested would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.
Currently, there are 49 standard day routes, four school routes and 16 night routes that operate in the borough of Lewisham. All these bus routes data over two years would account to approximately 9 Gb and would require hours to extract from the database due to its sheer volume and size. We are also not sure if it’s feasible to extract all the required data without crashing the live database and then send the gigabytes of data over to you. This would of course increase the processing time required to complete your request.
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. I would recommend you reduce the expected data volume by limiting your request to a shorter period of time, geographical area or specific bus routes.
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, TfL does not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.
In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
