FOI request detail

London Travel Demand Survey

Request ID: FOI-2788-2122
Date published: 28 April 2022

You asked

Who authorised this survey and what was the business case for it? How much are Kantar been paid? What was the tendering process? I would like the information from 01/01/2022. Can you publish all communication between you and Kantar in regards to this survey?

We answered

TfL Ref: FOI-2788-2122

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 3 March 2022, asking for information about the London Travel Demand Survey (LTDS).

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 the information you require. You asked:

Who authorised this survey and what was the business case for it?

The survey was first commissioned in 2005/06, and is carried out by TfL’s City Planning directorate.

How much are Kantar been paid?

TfL publishes details of tenders and contracts with a value over £5,000, and so the value band of the LTDS contract is already in the public domain here: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/contracts-awarded-tfl.pdf

In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply you with a copy of the requested information as it is already accessible to you elsewhere.

What was the tendering process?

The survey was most recently procured via the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Research Market Framework (RM6018).

Can you publish all communication between you and Kantar in regards to this survey? I would like the information from 01/01/2022.

Please find attached redacted copies of the emails we’ve had with Kantar since January 2022.

In accordance with TfL’s obligations under Data Protection legislation some personal data has been removed, as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. This is because disclosure of this personal data would be a breach of the legislation, specifically the first principle which requires all processing of personal data to be fair and lawful. It would not be fair to disclose this personal information when the individuals have no expectation it would be disclosed and TfL has not satisfied one of the conditions which would make the processing ‘fair’. This exemption to the right of access to information is an absolute exemption and not subject to an assessment of whether the public interest favours use of the exemption.

Further redactions have been made under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which protects against the release of information that would unfairly prejudice commercial interests. Information has been redacted where disclosure would prejudice Kantar’s as well as TfL’s competitive advantage when we go out to tender for these services in future.

The LTDS contract is due to be re-tendered later this year and disclosure of some of the information contained within the emails would be likely to influence the process and also prejudice Kantar’s ability to compete for tendering opportunities with TfL and other companies in the future. Their competitive edge would inevitably be compromised by disclosing information on how they develop and cost their surveys.
The use of this exemption 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 and Kantar are able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes. There are a limited number of companies able to bid for such contracts and Kantar are likely to find themselves competing for similar contracts in the future. In this instance we consider that the public interest lies in obtaining the best value from the market and for the public purse.
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

Eva Hextall
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

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