Request ID: FOI-2349-2122 Date published: 09 February 2022
You asked
Dear Sir/Madam,
This is a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. As I understand it, TfL are planning to make significant changes to the number 14 and number 170 Bus Services, as captured here:
Route Change to frequency Date change will take place from
14 (Russell Square to Putney Heath) Buses will run every 10 minutes instead of every 7 or 8 minutes during the daytime on Mondays to Saturdays and weekday peak times. There are no changes to frequency at any other time. 12 February 2022
170 (Victoria Station to Roehampton) Buses will run every 10 minutes instead of every 7 to 8 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and weekday peak times. There are no changes to frequency at any other time. 29 January 2022
To help me better understand why this decision has been made, please can you provide me with:
- All of the different data points that have been used to make this decision, including how demand changes at different times of the day across both of these bus routes.
- Any reports that have been published internally within TfL, which propose this course of action.
- Information on any savings that TfL will achieve by making these changes.
- Any information which relates to whether this will cause a change in the number of people having to use each individual bus on these services, owing to a reduction in the frequency of these services.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-2349-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 13th January 2022 asking for information about changes to the number 14 and number 170 bus services.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“This is a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. As I understand it, TfL are planning to make significant changes to the number 14 and number 170 Bus Services, as captured here:
Route
Change to frequency
Date change will take place from
14 (Russell Square to Putney Heath)
Buses will run every 10 minutes instead of every 7 or 8 minutes during the daytime on Mondays to Saturdays and weekday peak times. There are no changes to frequency at any other time.
12 February 2022
170 (Victoria Station to Roehampton)
Buses will run every 10 minutes instead of every 7 to 8 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and weekday peak times. There are no changes to frequency at any other time.
29 January 2022
To help me better understand why this decision has been made, please can you provide me with:
All of the different data points that have been used to make this decision, including how demand changes at different times of the day across both of these bus routes.
Any reports that have been published internally within TfL, which propose this course of action.
Information on any savings that TfL will achieve by making these changes.
Any information which relates to whether this will cause a change in the number of people having to use each individual bus on these services, owing to a reduction in the frequency of these services.”
I can confirm that we hold the information you require.
The first attachment (the folder “FOI-2349-2122 Data.zip”) provides the requested data (from 2019 period 9). This shows the busiest hour in each direction - demand during other times of the day is significantly lower than this so the busiest hour is the best measure. Our working assumption is demand will be significantly less post-pandemic (around 17-20% less).
The second attachment (the pdf. “Inner London savings - Tranche 4”) is the paper used to inform the decision and which address your other questions. Note that details about the expected savings to be made have been redacted as this information is exempt from disclosure under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act. Section 43 applies to material where release would be commercially prejudicial, to TfL or any other party. In this case we believe that release of the figures would be likely to cause a significant detriment to TfL in being able to negotiate the best possible savings from our operators.
Section 43(2) is a “qualified” exemption, meaning we have to consider whether the greater public interests lies in applying the exemption and withholding the information or in releasing it in any case. We appreciate the need for transparency in the operation of our business and the fact that you have requested the information is in itself an argument in favour of release. However, overall we consider that the balance of public interest favours the application of the exemption in order to ensure that the best value is achieved in the spending of public money (note that the majority of TfL’s revenue comes from the public purse via funding from Government and through fares).
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
