TfL Ref: EIR-1340-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 27th July 2023 asking for information about a camera on Longfellow Road in Worcester Park.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“Ulez camera placement: Tfl has seen for Tom place a camera pole and electricity supply box at the end of Longfellow road in Worcester park (kt4).
Why has this been placed here?
The road is exit only so cars cannot enter into the zone in this road. Equally, there is no warning sign in the road as there are in all parallel two way side roads up from mine. Again highlighting that it is not a zone entry road.
So why is there a camera at this placement?”
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, I am afraid that in accordance with the EIR, the information is subject to a statutory exception under regulations R12(5)(a) – “international relations, defence, national security & public safety” (in this instance specifically public safety), regulation 12(5)(b) – “the course of justice, the ability of a person to receive a fair trial or the ability of the public authority to conduct and inquiry of a criminal or disciplinary nature” – (in this instance specifically the course of justice), and regulation 12(5)(e) – “confidentially of commercial or industrial information where such confidentiality is provide by law to protect a legitimate economic interest.”
In all three cases, we consider that the release of this information would be likely to cause the prejudice or harm indicated by the exceptions, by encouraging vandalism to target our traffic enforcement cameras. Whilst we make no suggestion that you would use this information for anything other than you own personal interest, disclosure of this information under the EIR is regarded as disclosure to ‘the public at large’ rather than the individual applicant.
Some of our cameras are being targeted by vandals, and some may have a live electricity supply to them. Lives could be endangered by individuals tampering with the wiring, as well as the potential danger to individuals from falling from equipment or being involved in road traffic accidents whilst carrying out these activities. We believe that there is good reason to conclude that release of the requested information would lead to an increase in incidents of vandalism to our cameras by encouraging other like-minded individuals to do the same, therefore there is a risk to the health and safety of individuals.
The TfL network is often the target of vandalism, and anything that encourages this or can be used to assist with this criminal activity is detrimental to our efforts to combat it. There have already been several reported incidents of damage to our infrastructure in the media. Our view is that release of the information requested would be likely to encourage further instances of copycat vandalism by making TfL assets a more attractive target for further vandalism as well as providing useful information to those who have previously and may wish to carry out these criminal attacks.
There is a clear direct financial cost to TfL in dealing with vandalism both in terms of protecting cameras from such crime and in dealing with the consequences when it does occur. These costs comprise the repair works as well as the subsequent disruption it causes to the road network in having to repair cameras and close sections of the footway and roads to facilitate this. This not only leads to significant delays and inconvenience for our customers, but also has direct financial consequences for TfL in deterring and dealing with the effects of the vandalism.
The use of these exceptions is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency, and in particular where this relates to the maintenance of public assets and the effective expenditure of public funds. In this case, it may also be of interest in enabling the general public to understand the extent of this problem on TfL’s road network. However, we do not consider that there are any other public interest factors in favour of the disclosure of this information, which otherwise is only likely to be of interest to those who follow and/or commit vandalism. On the other hand, there is a very strong public interest in preventing further crime, in protecting the health and safety of individuals, and in protecting the commercial interests of TfL as a public authority.
Therefore, in this instance we feel that the balance lies in favour of withholding the information to ensure that we are able to minimise the number of potential incidents of vandalism incidents which could have considerable implications for law enforcement, public safety, and TfL expenditure.
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
