Request ID: FOI-1769-2324 Date published: 06 October 2023
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
I would be grateful if you could provide answers to the following information:
1. The cost of one CCTV camera for the purposes of enforcing charges in the new extended ULEZ area commencing on 29th August 2023
2. The number of such cameras which TFL intends to erect in pursuit of the above around the periphery of the greater London area
3. The total cost of ULEZ signage both in and out side the greater London area - this is signage which informs drivers that they are about to enter the ULEZ
4. The cost to TFL in labour and contractors costs in erecting both signage and cctv cameras to date and for the proposed expansion
5. The cost of painting any warning on road surfaces in respect of the expansion
6. The cost of removal of signage and the cctv cameras from the existing periphery of the ULEZ in order to relocate them to the new greater London area boundary
7. The cost of any extra staff to monitor and enforce the new expanded area
8. The costs of advertising the commencement of the expanded area in media - newspapers, television and radio as well as social media
9. The cost of the consultation process relating to the expanded area
10. The costs of defending the recent High Court legal proceedings in relation to the implementation of the expanded zone
11. The estimated cost of the Mayor's proposed scrappage scheme
We answered
TfL Ref: 1769-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 26 August 2023 asking for information about ULEZ cameras
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. Your questions and our replies are as below:
The cost of one CCTV camera for the purposes of enforcing charges in the new extended ULEZ area commencing on 29th August 2023
In accordance with the EIR, we are not obliged to supply this information as it is subject to a statutory exception to the right of access to information 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.
The rationale for this is explained in more detail in a published response to a previous information request which is available on our website here:
In this instance the exception has been applied as disclosure of the information you have requested would be likely to prejudice our economic interests, as well as those of the suppliers who provide the cameras, or may provide them in the future. Prejudice would be likely to occur should we go out to tender for this or similar services in the future, because it would be likely to result in a clustering of bids based on how much has been previously paid. Disclosing this information could also be prejudicial to the camera manufacturer’s ability to compete for tendering opportunities with other companies in the future, as their competitive edge would inevitably be prejudiced by disclosure of a breakdown of their price.
The use of this exception is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. TfL recognises the need for openness and transparency by public authorities but in this instance the public interest in ensuring that TfL is able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes.
We can advise however that the current estimated total cost to supply and install the Automatic Number Plate Recognition ( ANPR) Cameras and associated supporting infrastructure for LW-ULEZ is in the range for £45-55m.
The number of such cameras which TFL intends to erect in pursuit of the above around the periphery of the greater London area
Around 2750 additional ANPR cameras are needed to operate the expanded London-wide scheme
The total cost of ULEZ signage both in and outside the greater London area - this is signage which informs drivers that they are about to enter the ULEZ
The current estimated total cost to supply and install signage and associated supporting infrastructure for LW-ULEZ is in the range for £20-25m.
The cost to TFL in labour and contractors costs in erecting both signage and cctv cameras to date and for the proposed expansion
We do not hold this information as we are not able to separate this out from other costs. Please refer to the costs we have provided as above.
The cost of painting any warning on road surfaces in respect of the expansion
We do not paint any warnings on road surfaces as part of the ULEZ expansion.
The cost of removal of signage and the cctv cameras from the existing periphery of the ULEZ in order to relocate them to the new greater London area boundary
We do not hold this information as we are not able to separate this out from other costs. Please refer to the costs we have provided as above.
The cost of any extra staff to monitor and enforce the new expanded area
We do not hold information on additional staff costs directly relating to the expansion.
The costs of advertising the commencement of the expanded area in media - newspapers, television and radio as well as social media
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
