iBus

The request was successful.

Dear Transport for London,

Is it possible for me to have all of the London iBus announcements. I would like to have the route numbers, destinations, stops as well as the messages that the drivers can play.

Yours faithfully,

James Hanson

FOI, Transport for London

Dear Mr Hanson

 

TfL Ref: 2728-2122

 

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 27
February 2022 asking for information about our IBus announcements.

 

In order to provide you with access to the requested audio recordings 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.

 

You may find our direct email address at the following link:
[1]https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparenc...

 

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss this matter further, please
do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear Transport for London,

I have email my FOI reference number to [email address]. My email is [email address].

Yours sincerely,

James Hanson

FOI, Transport for London

1 Attachment

 

Dear Mr Hanson

 

TfL Ref: 2728-2122

 

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 27
February 2022 asking for information about our iBus announcements, and for
your emails of 1 March confirming your personal email address.

 

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of
the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. 

 

I can confirm that we hold the information you require. Your email account
has now been added to the permissions list to access the audio recordings
and you should now have an email with a link enabling you to access the
folder (please check your spam folder if this is not visible).

Upon opening the link you will be asked to verify your account which will
generate a code to be send to your email address which is only valid for
15 minutes (you may need to check your spam folder). Once that code is
entered you will have access to the relevant files which can then be
downloaded. Should you encounter any difficulty with this please
contact [1][email address]

More generally, we do endeavour to keep the announcements folder as up to
date as possible.  As and when new recordings are made we will add them to
the folder - this is done as frequently as possible and on an ad hoc basis
at present, taking into account when our resources allow for this, and in
order to balance other business needs. We are however exploring other ways
of periodically updating the folder with any new announcements.

iBus

It should be noted that the iBus announcements are recorded as fragments.
As a result, some announcements would not feature in full as the full
announcement would just be made up of two or more fragments that have
already been recorded.  The way the announcements are recorded means that
we cannot provide them for specific routes as requested.

 

DLR

In regard to the DLR audio announcements for the trains and stations, we
do not hold this information. The on train announcements for DLR are not
held in any central repository and are not ‘recorded ‘ as such. These are
done digitally as needed by typing them into a system, combining
previously typed announcements where necessary. It is therefore not
possible to provide an audio recording, as requested. The station
announcements are held on a central system but not in a form that allows
them to be distributed.

 

Tube

On train announcements for the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines are
included in the folder. The Northern line audio files contain historical
as well as current announcements. You will note the Piccadilly line
announcements are supplied as PCC files which may need specialist software
to play them. This format is the only version we currently have available.

 

Please also note that while the Jubilee and Piccadilly announcements are
recorded as full statements specifically for each station, Northern line
announcements are recorded as segmented phrases joined into full sentences
by the train management system (TMS).

 

With regards to the London Underground station announcements, and the on
train announcements for the other tube lines, we are not obliged to supply
these audio files as the information is subject to a statutory exemption
to the right of access to information under section 43(2).

 

In this instance section 43(2) has been applied as disclosure of the
information requested would be likely to prejudice the commercial
interests of TfL and/or the company used to provide the recordings. The
recordings in question were provided to London Underground under a signed
contracts which contained explicit conditions concerning disclosure and
distribution.

 

These contracts specify that the recordings are solely to be used for the
purpose for which they were created and for broadcast on the London
Underground network only. If TfL were to disclose these recordings in
response to an FOI request, it would constitute an actionable breach of
contract and would be likely to result in a valid legal claim against
London Underground or the license to use the recordings being withdrawn,
which would impose additional, unnecessary, costs. TfL wishes to protect
its commercial interests and ability to participate in future commercial
activity. The disclosure of this information would be to the detriment of
present and future business activities for both parties.

 

The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public
interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. TfL
recognises the need for openness and transparency within public
authorities and the degree of public interest concerning London transport
announcements in light of the recent disclosure of iBus announcements.
However, in this instance this is outweighed by the damage that would be
done to TfL’s ability to use these recordings and any future contractual
negotiations that may take place regarding the London Underground
announcements.

 

Please note that access to this material will be provided to you under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, you are not granted any rights to any of
the intellectual property that exists in it or granted any permission to
make secondary uses of it.

 

TfL owns all intellectual property (including, without limitation,
copyright) in the material supplied and will defend such rights.

 

If you wish to make any secondary use of the material provided, you must
first obtain the consent of TfL (which may be withheld) and, if consent is
granted, a fee may be charged, in accordance with the terms of the Reuse
of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005.

 

 

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable
to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.

 

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

 

 

 

From: FOI
Sent: 01 March 2022 08:25
To: 'James Hanson' <[2][FOI #837204 email]>
Subject: new foi ref 2728-2122 CRM:0138538

 

Dear Mr Hanson

 

TfL Ref: 2728-2122

 

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 27
February 2022 asking for information about our IBus announcements.

 

In order to provide you with access to the requested audio recordings 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.

 

You may find our direct email address at the following link:
[3]https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparenc...

 

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss this matter further, please
do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

I do not see route number 135, as well as "to" in any of the files.

Yours sincerely,

James Hanson

Dear FOI,

Thank you for route 135 and to.

However there are still a few bus routes, stops and destinations still missing. If it is possible can you add all of the routes as well as the bus stops.

Yours sincerely,

James Hanson

FOI, Transport for London

Dear Mr Hanson

Please can you advise which routes, stops and/or destinations you believe are missing.

Kind regards
FOI Case Management Team
Transport for London

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

These are the ones that I couldn't find in the files.

90
300
301
W15

Bethnal Green, Bonner Road
Bethnal Green, Chest Hospital
King Edwards Road
Eric Street
Pixely Street
Upper North Street
Queensway
Pembridge Villas
Sheffield Terrace
Phillimore Gardens
The Design Museum
Chepstow Road / Westbourne Grove
Bishops Bridge Road / Westbourne Terrace
Old Marylebone Town Hall
Admirals Way
Westferry Circus / Canary Wharf pier
Mastmakers Road

Old Street, Provost Street

Yours sincerely,

James Hanson

FOI, Transport for London

Dear Mr Hanson,

 

Thank you again for your email.

 

We endeavour to keep the iBus announcements folder as up to date as
possible.  As and when new recordings are made we will add them to the
folder - this is done as frequently as possible and on an ad hoc basis at
present, taking into account when our resources allow for this, and in
order to balance other business needs. We are however exploring other ways
of periodically updating the folder with any new announcements.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Eva Hextall

FOI Case Officer

 

 

show quoted sections

Hextall Eva, Transport for London

 

 

 

TfL RESTRICTED

From: FOI
Sent: 10 March 2022 15:52
To: 'James Hanson' <[FOI #837204 email]>
Subject: RE: new foi ref 2728-2122 CRM:0138538

 

Dear Mr Hanson,

 

Thank you again for your email.

 

We endeavour to keep the iBus announcements folder as up to date as
possible.  As and when new recordings are made we will add them to the
folder - this is done as frequently as possible and on an ad hoc basis at
present, taking into account when our resources allow for this, and in
order to balance other business needs. We are however exploring other ways
of periodically updating the folder with any new announcements.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Eva Hextall

FOI Case Officer

 

 

show quoted sections