Request ID: FOI-3690-2324 Date published: 07 February 2024
You asked
Dear Sirs
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST - FOI
Please provide the following information and statistics over the last 18 months
in relation to junction of Bedford Road and the A3 Clapham High Street
1) Number of PCN's issued by the authority in relation to a no-left turn from Bedford Road onto A3 Clapham High Street
2) Number of PCN's above cancelled.
Yours Sincerely
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-3690-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on16 January 2024 asking for information about PCNs issued on junction of Bedford Road and the A3 Clapham High Street.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act our information access policy.
I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. However, we are not obliged to supply the information you have requested as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 31 of the FOI Act, which relates to law enforcement. Specifically, we are refusing your request under section 31(1)(b), which relates to information whose disclosure would be likely to prejudice the apprehension or prosecution of offenders, and section 31(1)(g), which relates to information whose disclosure would be likely to prejudice the exercise by any public authority of its functions or any of the purpose of ascertaining whether any person has failed to comply with the law.
The release of this information would reveal locations where enforcement activity is less likely to be implemented, and may therefore encourage people to ignore restrictions at those locations. Whilst we make no suggestion that you would use this information for anything other than your own interest, the disclosure of information under FOI is regarded as a disclosure to the public at large rather than to the individual applicant.
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 feel that balance lies in favour of withholding the information to ensure that drivers in London use the roads in compliance with the relevant restrictions and that we are able to manage traffic on the TfL road network. It would be strongly against the public interest to release any information that would undermine this. We consider that the release of this information would lead to increased traffic problems as some motorists may seek to take advantage of the information, which would have a detrimental effect on street management. This principle has been previously agreed by the Information Commissioner in relation to a similar, previous request, as can be seen in the following Decision Notice - the same arguments apply in your case:
