Request ID: FOI-2041-2223 Date published: 06 April 2023
You asked
Hello,
I am writing on Friday 18 November to make an open request for information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible. If you feel this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me, as I understand that under the Act you are required to advise and assist requesters.
If any of the information is already in the public domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.
Please send responses electronically to xxx within the 20-day timeframe stipulated by the Act.
My questions are as follows:
1. Please inform me how many fixed speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for. If possible, please break this down by device type (EG Gatso, Truvelo, HADECS).
2. Please inform me how many average speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for. If possible, please break this down by device type (EG SPECS, VECTOR, Siemens).
3. Please inform me how many speeding tickets were issued by the fixed cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year, and by device type if possible.
4. Please inform me how many speeding tickets were issued by average cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year, and by device type if possible.
5. Please inform me of the total financial cost to Transport for London of maintaining and calibrating the fixed speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year. If possible, please also break this down by device type.
6. Please inform me of the total financial cost to Transport for London of maintaining and calibrating the average speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year. If possible, please also break this down by device type.
If it is not possible to obtain the level of granularity outlined above, please simply tell me a) how many speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for in total, b) how many speeding tickets in total they issued from 2018 to present (broken down by year), and c) how much financial cost these cameras incurred for maintenance and calibration from 2018-present, broken down by year.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-2041-2223 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 18th November 2022 asking for information about speed cameras. 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 some of the information you require. Your questions are answered in turn below:
Question 1) Please inform me how many fixed speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for. If possible, please break this down by device type (EG Gatso, Truvelo, HADECS). Answer: TfL is responsible for 827 Fixed Speed Cameras, broken down by type as follows:
579 Spot Speed - RedSpeed
124 Red Light & Speed on Green - RedSpeed
108 Red Light Only - RedSpeed
16 Red Light with Speed Data – RedSpeed
Question 2) Please inform me how many average speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for. If possible, please break this down by device type (EG SPECS, VECTOR, Siemens). Answer: TfL is responsible for 135 Average Speed Cameras, broken down by type as follows:
18 Jenoptik
37 RedSpeed
80 Siemens Sicore
Question 3) Please inform me how many speeding tickets were issued by the fixed cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year, and by device type if possible.
And;
Question 4) Please inform me how many speeding tickets were issued by average cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year, and by device type if possible.
Answer: Please see the data in the attached spreadsheet. Note that TfL only holds this data back to July 2021.
Question 5) Please inform me of the total financial cost to Transport for London of maintaining and calibrating the fixed speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year. If possible, please also break this down by device type.
And;
Question 6) Please inform me of the total financial cost to Transport for London of maintaining and calibrating the average speed cameras Transport for London is responsible for from 2018 to present. Please break this down by calendar or financial year. If possible, please also break this down by device type.
Answer: The exact information requested is exempt from disclosure under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, the exemption that can apply where release of information would prejudice commercial interests, be it TfL or any other party. In this instance the exemption applies because of the small number of suppliers involved in maintaining and calibrating the cameras. Providing the information broken down by year and type would allow suppliers to calculate each other’s costs. This would in turn damage TfL’s ability to negotiate the best value for money in any future contract awards, as well as being damaging to the suppliers themselves. Section 43(2) is a “qualified” exemption, meaning we are required to consider whether the greater public interest rests in the exemption applying and the information being withheld, or in it being released in any case. We appreciate the need for openness and transparency in the running of our business, and the fact you have requested the information is in itself an argument for release. However, TfL also has a duty to secure best value for the public purse (noting that we are largely funded via fares and grants from Government). In this instance we believe that the greater public interest rests in the exemption applying, in order to protect our future negotiations for similar work. However, recognising the public interest in the spending of public money we can tell you that overall the average total cost for the maintenance and repair of these cameras for the past 5 years is £3.63M per year. 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, David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
