Various questions re PCNs

---

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 24 October 2019 asking for information about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

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 the information you require. However, to provide the information you have requested would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.

We have estimated that it would cost £750 to provide a response to your current request. This is because it is estimated that it would take 30 working hours to retrieve and compile the information you have requested.

To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by TfL. You should identify the information that you want as clearly and concisely as you can, specifying the types of document that you are looking for. You might also consider limiting your request to a narrower period of time, geographical area or specific departments of TfL.

Transport for London (TfL) publishes details of PCNs issued by financial year via the London Councils. The information is available on their website via the following link: https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/parking-services/parking-and-traffic/parking-information-professionals/information

In addition, the London Tribunals publish in their Annual Report details about the number of appeals lodged with them against PCNs issued by Enforcement Authorities in London. The information is available on their website via the following link: https://www.londontribunals.gov.uk/about/annual-reports-and-appeal-statistics . The report we use to compile the submission to London Councils is run at PCN level and includes details such as PCN number, Date and Time of Issue, Contravention Location and Contravention Type. The report does not include Current Status, Next Status, Date and Time of Payment, Method of Payment and Officer ID. The system from which we run our reports includes details of the payment channel used (ie: by web, telephone, IVR, post). 

Due to the way the information is recorded, the same or similar reports would have to be run and so we are unsure how the request could be narrowed to a point where it would not reach the appropriate limit. We may be able to provide the information you have provided for a specific location if you are able to provide the exact address, including the first part of the postcode.

Whilst we are unable to provide you with the raw data set of parking tickets for the last five years due to the cost and time burden this would place on us, you should also note that were we to receive a refined request, +we would have to consider whether any other exemptions would apply. We may well need to refuse a request if the information could be used by anyone trying to avoid on street restrictions and penalty charges. 

Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) are not paid a bonus based on the number of PCNs issued. There are no targets, bonuses or incentives, their role is to simply identify contraventions.

If you are not satisfied with this response please see the enclosed information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Graham Hurt

FOI Case Officer

[email protected]

Back to top

---