FOI request - Colourful crossing, impact on disabled people
Request ID: FOI-1525-2122 Date published: 08 November 2021
You asked
Dear FOI officer
I would like to request information relating to what are increasingly referred to as ‘colourful crossings’. These are where traditional road crossings are painted with art or unusual patterns. As an example, here is a link to some examples: Colourful Crossings London - THB (thbuk.co.uk)
My request is in two parts:
Research on the impact on disabled people
Given the trend, I imagine TfL will have conducted research on the potential impacts on disabled people. I would therefore request:
• Any formal or informal research on the impacts on disabled people (including blind and partially sighted users, neurodivergent people (autism, dementia etc etc.) and people with mental health conditions).
• Any informal feedback received from disabled people (anonymised of course)
• Any formal feedback solicited by TfL, for example from accessibility and disability forums
If TfL are the decision maker for the purposes of the Public Sector Equality Duty,
I have received reply from an earlier FOI to a Borough Council in which they declare that they do not have impact assessments on Colourful Crossings because they are not the PSED duty holder, instead stating that TfL are the duty holder. Therefore if you agree you are the PSED duty holder, please can you provide:
• A copy of any equality impact assessments for any crossing on which you have given permission to install such crossings
• Any advice received from the DfT on the matter
I should prefer to receive these in electronic format at this email address, however, I am happy to receive them by post if that is more convenient. I would also be happy to receive information in batches within the time frame required if that is easier.
It would be helpful if you were to provide any brief notes which might be necessary to understand the context of the information provided, although I recognise that you are not obliged to do this. If for any reason you feel this request is unclear, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you are not the appropriate authority for this request, or for part of it, please let me know as soon as is convenient.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-1525-2122/GH Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 15 October 2021 asking for information about colourful crossing, impact on disabled people.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked for:
• Any formal or informal research on the impacts on disabled people (including blind and partially sighted users, neurodivergent people (autism, dementia etc etc.) and people with mental health conditions)
Please see the attached Colourful Crossings Research Report from Ross Atkin Associates.
• Any informal feedback received from disabled people (anonymised of course)
Please see attachments as below: 1) 2012 08 17 Colourful Crossings Feedback Summary 2) Social Media Report 8 October 3) Daily Social Media Report 10 October • Any formal feedback solicited by TfL, for example from accessibility and disability forums
Please see attached document titled ‘TfL Colourful Crossings (002)’
• A copy of any equality impact assessments for any crossing on which you have given permission to install such crossings
Every site on the TLRN (Transport for London Road Network) is considered on a case by case basis with road safety risk assessments and Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) carried out to identify equality impacts. TfL has provided advice to boroughs and those implementing colourful crossings to be mindful of the impacts on a wide range of pedestrians and will communicate the outcome of any policy changes following their recently completed research.
Please see the attached ‘FS1 R1 Colourful Crossing EqIA’, completed in 2016, for Colourful Crossings in the London Borough of Southwark on the TLRN. The ‘Colourful Crossings’ document shows the locations in Southwark.
• Any advice received from the DfT on the matter
We have no records of receiving any advice from the DfT on this subject.
In accordance with our obligations under Data Protection legislation some personal data has been removed, as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. This is because disclosure of this personal data would be a breach of the legislation, specifically the first principle of Article 5 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation which requires all processing of personal data to be fair and lawful. It would not be fair to disclose this personal information when the individuals have no expectation it would be disclosed and TfL has not satisfied one of the conditions which would make the processing ‘fair’.
This exemption to the right of access to information is an absolute exemption and not subject to an assessment of whether the public interest favours use of the exemption.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
