Request ID: FOI-3226-2223 Date published: 17 March 2023
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
Can you provide the bus and train fleet pollution levels for London (I don't know how tfl measures their pollution levels, but think if you can provide numbers for Exhaust emissions, tyre pollution and brake dust levels that would mean we can compare across different transport methods ) and provide the same pollution output from non-Ulez compliant vehicles to allow a like for like comparison.
Then can you tell me if the bus fleet emits more pollution in any of the like for like measures, why cars which are non compliant are being targeted by MoL Khan before he cleans up the transport fleet.
Finally, trains are powered by electricity, I heard that power stations produce pollution, so which part of the planet are Londoners dumping the pollution from power generation? Even if you are going to tell me that you have some renewable plans, the solar or wind machinery, or support staff from the industries supplying the power still generates pollution. So what is the pollution footprint?
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-3058-2223 / FOI-3226-2223
Thank you for your requests received on 18 February 2023 and 2 March asking for information about the Ultra-low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion and bus pollution.
Your requests have been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require.
Given the extent of the information you are looking for across both of your current requests, we are applying Regulation 12(4)(b) as we believe that the requests are ‘manifestly unreasonable’ because providing the information you have requested would impose unreasonable costs on us and require an unreasonable diversion of resources.
A large amount of data that relates to the questions you have asked has already been published in response to other requests we have received, including the requests you have previously submitted on these topics:
After reviewing the above documents you may wish to consider narrowing and/or focussing the scope of your requests so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract any additional information you are seeking that is not already provided in these documents. There are limits on the time that TfL are required to spend determining whether TfL holds the information you are requesting and the time spent locating, retrieving and extracting it. Therefore 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.
Please note, that although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, TfL does not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
The use of this exception is subject to a public interest test, which requires us to consider whether the public interest in applying the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosure. We recognise that the release of information would promote accountability and transparency in public services and may help address your particular concerns about this issue. However, the time it would take to provide the information you have requested would divert a disproportionate amount of our resources from its core functions and as there is already a large amount of data already published on these matters, on balance we consider that the public interest currently favours the use of the exception.
We will consider your request again, if you are able to narrow its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
