FOI request detail

Oyster Smart Card Data

Request ID: FOI-3548-1819
Date published: 17 April 2019

You asked

I would be most grateful if you could provide me with a one-week data sample of Smart Oyster Card Data. In your website, there is a similar dataset from the year 2009. I am requesting an updated version of this data. I am aware that other institutions such as the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at University College London have enjoyed access to more a more recent dataset collected between February and January 2014. Source: Sulis et al. "Using Mobility data as proxy for measuring urban vitality" in Journal of Spatial Information Science, Number (16) 2018, pp.137-162. In case more recent datasets are not available I would be most grateful if you could provide me with this same dataset. With many thanks, Alex

We answered

TfL Ref: FOI-3548-1819

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 26 March 2019.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm we do hold the information you require. You asked:

I would be most grateful if you could provide me with a one-week data sample of Smart Oyster Card Data.

In your website, there is a similar dataset from the year 2009. I am requesting an updated version of this data.

I am aware that other institutions such as the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at University College London have enjoyed access to more a more recent dataset collected between February and January 2014. Source: Sulis et al. "Using Mobility data as proxy for measuring urban vitality" in Journal of Spatial Information Science, Number (16) 2018, pp.137-162.

In case more recent datasets are not available I would be most grateful if you could provide me with this same dataset.

Unfortunately, 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 considerably exceed the cost limit to provide a response to your current request. This is because in order to provide an updated version of the dataset you are referring to, which is a 5% sample from 2009, of all Oyster card journeys taken in a week on the entire Transport for London network, we would have to carry out new analysis of our ticketing data.

Oyster card and contactless journey data is derived from ticketing data and stored in source systems which is not held in a format that represents the 2009 sample. The data would not make any sense to anyone without having to transform it into something useful. Unfortunately, there is no programme or tool available to extract and transform the data in the required format. We would need to write a new computer code to carry out this analysis and then devise a logic for taking a 5% sample that was representative of overall travel rather than biased towards certain times/modes etc. Furthermore, the new code would have to go through quality assurance process to ensure it that had been written correctly. All of this work would exceed the appropriate cost limit.  

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 Transport for London. 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 particular period of time, geographical area or specific departments of TfL.

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.

Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.

In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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

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