The number of trains (or carriages?) taken out of service due to graffiti -It would be great if it could be broken down by year and by quarter -Can you break it down by underground and overground The average time period before graffiti was spotted on a train by TfL and when it was taken out of service -It would be great if it could be broken down by year and by quarter -Maybe this is not something you collect? I believe that more trains with graffiti on them are going into service and staying in service for longer before they are cleaned (If there is some other metric that you use to measure this then it would be great if you could provide me with that) For all data requested: -Could I get data that goes back to 2010? (If this is not possible I would like data that goes back as far as possible within the time/cost limit) -I would appreciate it if the data was as up-to-date as possible -Can all data please be supplied to me in Excel format

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TfL Ref: FOI-3179-1819

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 17 February 2019.

Your request has been processed in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and TfL’s information access policy.  I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.

However, in accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply the information requested as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 38(1)(b) of the Act. Disclosure of this information to you has to be regarded as a disclosure to ‘the public at large’ and in this instance the exemption has been applied as disclosure of the information requested would be likely to adversely affect the safety and security of TfL employees and members of the general public.

The practice of applying graffiti is an act of criminal damage which, from a transport perspective, also generally involves trespassing onto unsafe areas of track or depots. There is a significant risk of serious harm or death for anybody who accesses these areas without authorisation and this is evident from the tragic fatalities recently at Loughborough Junction:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47404529

According to figures from the British Transport Police, graffiti on trains has hit an eight-year high in the UK. It is clear that there is a rise in this type of crime and that if there was considered to be a gap between graffiti being put onto a train and it being taken out of service, then this perception of increase in visibility of their graffiti would make our trains a more attractive target. The inevitable consequence of this would be more instances of people endangering their own lives, as well as the lives of staff and security personnel, by trespassing onto tracks and in depots.

The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, but in this instance the public interest in applying the exemption, in order to minimise risks to operational resilience, safe operation of the London Underground network and the wellbeing of staff and members of the general public, outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Further to the above, in accordance with the FOI Act, the information you have requested is also exempt from disclosure under section 43(2) of the Act.

Disclosure of this information would be likely to harm our commercial interests on the basis that it would encourage an increase in a graffiti activity. This would clearly carry a financial impact to TfL in terms of cleaning up, repairs to fencing or any other additional preventative measures that may need to be taken, as well as increased future contract costs.

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 is able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our information.

I would like to make it clear that these exemptions apply to the requested information regardless of timeframe.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Eva Hextall

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

  

I would like to request:

The number of trains (or carriages?) taken out of service due to graffiti

-It would be great if it could be broken down by year and by quarter

-Can you break it down by underground and overground

The average time period before graffiti was spotted on a train by TfL and when it was taken out of service

-It would be great if it could be broken down by year and by quarter

-Maybe this is not something you collect? I believe that more trains with graffiti on them are going into service and staying in service for longer before they are cleaned (If there is some other metric that you use to measure this then it would be great if you could provide me with that)

For all data requested:

-Could I get data that goes back to 2010? (If this is not possible I would like data that goes back as far as possible within the time/cost limit)

-I would appreciate it if the data was as up-to-date as possible

-Can all data please be supplied to me in Excel format

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