Request ID: FOI-4774-2324 Date published: 23 April 2024
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
I would like access to the raw data of the London travel demand survey.
Previous FOI requests for this are found here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/london_travel_demand_survey_raw#outgoing-934247
However, the response to the previous request was that availability is only granted through Access database. Email enquiries, in turn, to ltdsenquiries @ tfl.gov.uk (no spaces) to gain access have not received any responses. Please inform of alternative processes to access this data. Thank you.
We answered
TfL Ref: 4774-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 25 March 2024 asking for information about the London Travel Demand Survey raw data.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
I would like access to the raw data of the London travel demand survey.
However, the response to the previous request was that availability is only granted through Access database. Email enquiries, in turn, to ltdsenquiries @ tfl.gov.uk (no spaces) to gain access have not received any responses. Please inform of alternative processes to access this data. Thank you.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require.
Given the size of the relevant files, rather than send them by email we will need to provide them to you by providing access to a Sharepoint file on which they are stored. In order to provide you with access to the site, we require a direct email address in order to create the necessary permissions. Could you please email us directly with your email address, citing your FOI reference number, and we can then grant access.
Please note that given the nature of the information held it is not possible to provide you with all of the information in the exact form held by TfL. This is because the combination of information held would allow individuals to be identified, in breach of our obligations for the fair processing of third party data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We have, therefore, combined or anonymised some of the information held. For example, rather than provide the ethnic status of the respondents according to one of the 17 original categories, these have been grouped into four categories to reduce the specificity of that information. Similarly, rather than provide the exact start and end point of journeys we have reduced this to the borough-level only. Such changes have been made under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, the exemption which protects against the unfair release of personal data (and which, in effect, ensures compliance with GDPR obligations when responding to FOI requests).
I understand that this may mean that the data provided does not meet your exact needs. However, it is, in our judgment, the correct balance for releasing information under FOI law – that is, providing as much of the requested information as we can while at the same time protecting the identity of third parties.
Finally, please note that the following will help you to understand / interpret the data:
Variable definitions are shown by opening a table, right click on the heading and select 'design view'.
Variable categories can be added by joining the relevant label table.
The household, person and trip tables follow in a hierarchy and can be linked to look at variables across the tables in this hierarchy. For example linking the 'hhid' variable in the household table to the 'phid' variable in the person table.
A few variables have been categorised in order to ensure we comply with GDPR requirements for personal data. These include:
pegroup1 - ethnic group
page - age
pwkstat - work status
tdbmmode - trip based main mode
topurpi - origin purpose
tdpurpi - destination purpose
tjpurpi - journey purpose
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,
Sara Thomas FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
