Dear Mr Garrett

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

I refer to your e-mail of 5^th December 2008 requesting the following information:

The number of vehicles reported as smoky for 2008 (to date) and the overall resulting action (i.e. how may were taken off the road, how many were fixed etc.

In response to the above, I can confirm that our records show that, between 01/01/2008 and 15/12/2008, VOSA has received 593 reports regarding smoky heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and public service vehicles (PSVs). These calls have been recorded by our enquiry unit, as the Smoky Vehicle Hotline is no longer dealt with by the Enforcement Areas. The enquiry unit issue letters to the registered keepers of HGVs and PSVs that have been reported as smoky. The Enforcement Areas are made aware of this action and may use the information to inform fleet check or maintenance investigation action. As smoky vehicle data is no longer required for the effectiveness report, the resulting action for each report is no longer recorded and figures cannot therefore be supplied.

Numbers of smoky cars, motorcycles or other vehicles reported are not recorded either, as enforcement action relating to these is outside of VOSA's remit. Once warning letters have been issued, it is expected that the owners will take appropriate action or that the vehicle will fail its next MOT test for unacceptable emission levels.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us, quoting reference F0001577.

If you are unhappy with the information supplied, you may ask for an internal review. To request an internal review, please write to:

VOSA Corporate Office,

Berkeley House,

Croydon Street,

Bristol,

BS5 0DA

or email [email address]

giving the reasons for your dissatisfaction. It will help us if you quote the reference number for your case.

If you do not agree with the outcome of the internal review, you may lodge an appeal with the Information Commissioner (www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk). The Information Commissioner is an independent official appointed by the Crown to

oversee the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

The Information Commissioner can consider complaints about any aspect of the way in which requests for information have been handled. Please note: the Information Commissioner would be unlikely to consider your complaint if you have not first requested an internal review.

You can write to the Information Commissioner at:

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

VOSA Information Access Team

From: Information Access

[email address]

Information Access Team Berkeley House

Croydon Street

Bristol

BS5 0DA

Tel: 0300 123 9000

Fax: 0117 954 2546

Our Ref: F0001577

Date: 16^th December 2008

Keith Garrett

[FOI #4573 email]

BY EMAIL