Freedom of Information request - Questions on TRO GLA 2018 No 0451 Rotherhithe Tunnel
Request ID: FOI-2103-2122 Date published: 10 January 2022
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
The GLA 2018 No 0451 makes reference under the powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to restructions to good vehicles with a maximum gross weight of over 2 tonnes etc and the reasons provided are "likelihood of danger to the public"
1. Please can you ouline in detail the above reasons and additionally outline any legal opinion you have utilised to effectively discriminate a sub set of road users 2. Please can you detail of the yearly revenue from the PCNs issued for each year since its inception by DVLA categorisations 3. Any performace targets or revenue metrics which are positively correlated to increased revenues in this location (including as a subset thereof) 3. Please can you details any revenue or financial projections in any budgetory or accounting projections for revenue from PCNs issued from this location
We answered
Our ref: FOI-2103-2122/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 11 December 2021 asking for information about Rotherhithe Tunnel.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require.
1. Please can you outline in detail the above reasons and additionally outline any legal opinion you have utilised to effectively discriminate a sub set of road users
By way of background the Rotherhithe Tunnel was built in 1908 and was not designed to cope with modern levels of traffic. These restrictions help to ensure that road users can continue to use the tunnel safely while we work on plans for the tunnel's future.
Following a review of the Rotherhithe Tunnel Ventilation system it was discovered that the capacity of the current system was limited to a passenger car. Most larger cars are in the region of 2 tonnes in weight. The difference between a passenger car and an equivalent size light commercial vehicle is down to the load. The fire loading of a passenger vehicle in general is easy to estimate as it is limited to the number of passengers and associated baggage. The fire load of a light commercial vehicle is harder to estimate, so in the international guidelines these are referenced as having a higher fire load. The National Highways guidance document BD78/99 Design of Road Tunnels gives the fire load of a car as 5 megawatts (MW) and a van (Light commercial) as 15 MW. The current capability of the Rotherhithe tunnel ventilation system can safely deal with a passenger car but the light commercial vehicle is beyond its safe working limits. This is why the restriction applies. While the restriction was introduced in September 2018 we did not issue penalties until February 2019.
Safety is our number one priority and we must ensure that only vehicles which are safe to do so travel through the tunnel.
2. Please can you detail of the yearly revenue from the PCNs issued for each year since its inception by DVLA categorisations
We do not hold the information on vehicle categories for these PCNs as we do not use that for the purposes of administering the Rotherhithe tunnel scheme. We can confirm however that, between February 2019 when we commenced camera enforcement of the tunnel safety restrictions and 31 March 2021, we issued 292,266 PCNs. The value of payments and therefore the gross income received for those PCNs was £18,586,747.
3. Any performance targets or revenue metrics which are positively correlated to increased revenues in this location (including as a subset thereof) 4. Please can you details any revenue or financial projections in any budgetary or accounting projections for revenue from PCNs issued from this location
We do not break down our financial forecast for specific activities therefore we do not hold any information about financial projections for PCN revenue at this location. As explained above, the purpose of enforcement at this location is to support the safety restrictions in place in the tunnel, not to raise revenue.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you are not satisfied with this response 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 LondonOur ref: FOI-2103-2122/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 11 December 2021 asking for information about Rotherhithe Tunnel.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require.
1. Please can you outline in detail the above reasons and additionally outline any legal opinion you have utilised to effectively discriminate a sub set of road users
By way of background the Rotherhithe Tunnel was built in 1908 and was not designed to cope with modern levels of traffic. These restrictions help to ensure that road users can continue to use the tunnel safely while we work on plans for the tunnel's future.
Following a review of the Rotherhithe Tunnel Ventilation system it was discovered that the capacity of the current system was limited to a passenger car. Most larger cars are in the region of 2 tonnes in weight. The difference between a passenger car and an equivalent size light commercial vehicle is down to the load. The fire loading of a passenger vehicle in general is easy to estimate as it is limited to the number of passengers and associated baggage. The fire load of a light commercial vehicle is harder to estimate, so in the international guidelines these are referenced as having a higher fire load. The National Highways guidance document BD78/99 Design of Road Tunnels gives the fire load of a car as 5 megawatts (MW) and a van (Light commercial) as 15 MW. The current capability of the Rotherhithe tunnel ventilation system can safely deal with a passenger car but the light commercial vehicle is beyond its safe working limits. This is why the restriction applies. While the restriction was introduced in September 2018 we did not issue penalties until February 2019.
Safety is our number one priority and we must ensure that only vehicles which are safe to do so travel through the tunnel.
2. Please can you detail of the yearly revenue from the PCNs issued for each year since its inception by DVLA categorisations
We do not hold the information on vehicle categories for these PCNs as we do not use that for the purposes of administering the Rotherhithe tunnel scheme. We can confirm however that, between February 2019 when we commenced camera enforcement of the tunnel safety restrictions and 31 March 2021, we issued 292,266 PCNs. The value of payments and therefore the gross income received for those PCNs was £18,586,747.
3. Any performance targets or revenue metrics which are positively correlated to increased revenues in this location (including as a subset thereof) 4. Please can you details any revenue or financial projections in any budgetary or accounting projections for revenue from PCNs issued from this location
We do not break down our financial forecast for specific activities therefore we do not hold any information about financial projections for PCN revenue at this location. As explained above, the purpose of enforcement at this location is to support the safety restrictions in place in the tunnel, not to raise revenue.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you are not satisfied with this response 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
