Request ID: FOI-1556-2324 Date published: 01 September 2023
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information regarding the annual expenditure of the Council on road condition surveys as part of the Road Indexing activity administered by the Department of Transport.
To assist you in processing this request, I have outlined the specific details below: Please provide the total amount spent by the Council on road condition surveys for each fiscal year from 2010 to 2022, inclusive. If available, kindly specify the breakdown of the expenditure by year, indicating the amount spent on the Road Indexing activity through the Department of Transport. Please also provide the information for which company/contractor has won the contract in each year.
I understand that the Road Indexing activity involves monitoring and assessing the condition of roads, providing valuable data to ensure effective road maintenance and planning. As a concerned citizen, I believe it is crucial to have access to information regarding the financial resources allocated to this essential activity.
We answered
TfL Ref: 1556-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 10 August 2023 asking for information about Road Index and Highway Maintenance.
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 the information you require. You asked: I am writing to you under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information regarding the annual expenditure of the Council on road condition surveys as part of the Road Indexing activity administered by the Department of Transport.
To assist you in processing this request, I have outlined the specific details below: Please provide the total amount spent by the Council on road condition surveys for each fiscal year from 2010 to 2022, inclusive. If available, kindly specify the breakdown of the expenditure by year, indicating the amount spent on the Road Indexing activity through the Department of Transport. Please also provide the information for which company/contractor has won the contract in each year.
I understand that the Road Indexing activity involves monitoring and assessing the condition of roads, providing valuable data to ensure effective road maintenance and planning. As a concerned citizen, I believe it is crucial to have access to information regarding the financial resources allocated to this essential activity.
TfL carries out machine based road condition surveys (SCRIM and SCANNER) on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) under its own contractual arrangements.
The total costs of these surveys between 2009/2010 and 2021/2022 was £1,197,465.72 at an average of £92,112.75 per year over this 13 year period. Annual TfL expenditure on road condition surveys across the TLRN ranged between c£47,300 to c£114,400 per annum
Companies carrying out these surveys over this period were: Ginger Lehmann Ltd Pavement Testing Services Limited WDM Ltd Yotta Ltd
In accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply the information requested broken down by individual supplier / year as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2). In this instance the section 43(2) exemption has been applied as disclosure of the individual costs by that breakdown would or would be likely to prejudice both our commercial interests, as well as those of the individual suppliers respectively. Disclosure of the pricing information would disadvantage our suppliers in their ability to participate in future competitive bidding processes for similar contracts with TfL and other organisations as well as hinder TfL’s ability to negotiate the best value for money for similar services in the future.
The use of this exemption 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 by public authorities, particularly where the expenditure of public money is concerned, but in this instance the public interest in ensuring that we are able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, 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
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
