TfL Ref: 1015-1920

Thank you for your emails received by us on 3 June and 1 July 2019 asking for information about the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) and the Congestion Charge.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. You asked for the following:

1. In respect of Police vehicles operated by the Metropolitan Police Service does the TFL grant them any exemption from payment of ULEZ or the Congestion Charge in respect of vehicles that would otherwise be liable to pay the above charges ?

2. How do you receive and input details of Police Vehicles into your systems to allow them to be exempted from payment of ULEZ and Congestion Charge.

3. Does TFL have a standard operation procedure or similar documents on exemption for Metropolitan Police Vehicles within ULEZ and Congestion Charge zones.

4. Does TFL have a procedure for vehicles operated by British Transport Police and City of London Police in relation to exemption for ULEZ and Congestion Charge.

5. Can you provide a copy of any correspondence between TFL and Following organisations in relation to ULEZ and Congestion Charging:
Metropolitan Police
City of London Police
British Transport Police
National Police Chiefs Council
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
National Crime Agency
MI5 / Security Service
Government Car Service
Ministry of Defence

I am trying to understand the scope of exemption granted in respect of government and police vehicles and am looking for correspondence in the last 3 to 6 months.

6. What is the procedure in relation to exemption from ULEZ and Congestion Charge in relation to vehicles operated by:
HM Coast Guard
RNLI
Port of London Police
Fire Service Vehicles                                                                        
NHS Ambulances
NHS Transplant and Blood
Private Ambulance
Other emergency blue light vehicles.

To provide the information you have requested would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. This is because locating and collating any relevant emails within other correspondence sent between the relevant bodies would be a wholly manual task. Details on exemptions to the Congestion Charge and ULEZ can be found here https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge/discounts-and-exemptions and https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/discounts-and-exemptions .

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.

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. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by us. You should identify the information that you want as clearly and concisely as you can, specifying the types of document that you are looking for. You might also consider limiting your request to a particular period of time, geographical area or specific departments of the organisation.

Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, we do 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 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

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London