What does the council spend on different transport modes?
Dear Richmond upon Thames Borough Council,
I've asked councillors a number of times about spending on transport, but received no reply. So please provide me with the following information:
1. In the last three years, what was the council's transport budget?
2. What part of this budget was spent on cycling or cycling related activities?
3. What part of the overall budget, and what part of the cycling specific budget, was provided by other authorities, such as TfL?
4. What was the modal share for the different transport types in Richmond over this period (by year)?
5. Of the money which can be directly allocated at the behest of the council - i.e. without recourse to TfL, the Mayor's office, etc. - how was this shared among the transport types described in item 4?
6. What are the council's defined targets for modal shares for the items described in item 4? And where is this stated as policy or as a target (if this is so)?
Yours faithfully,
Tim Lennon.
Our Ref: L/YL/e14051
Dear Tim Lennon
Thank you for your request for information received on 18 February 2013.
Your request is being considered and the information will be provided
within the 20 working day statutory timescale, this is subject to the
information not being exempt or containing reference to any third party.
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FOI Team
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Our Ref: L/ND/e14051
Dear Tim Lennon,
I am writing in relation to your request for information which was
received on 18 February. We require clarification from you before we can
respond to your request.
In regards to Q1 are you asking for budget or actual spend on the
councillors transport or what the council spent on transport? What is
your definition of 'transport'. Does this include the cost of Repairs and
maintenance, running costs in respect of vehicles?
In regards to Q.2 is this question relating to Revenue or Capital
Budget/spend?
In regards to Q.4 what do you mean by 'modal share'?
In regards to Q.5 could you elaborate on what transport types you are
referring to? Is it the provision, hire or use of transport eg car
allowances, public transport, contract hire and operating leases?
Please can you explain question 6 further in light of your clarification
for Q.4?
Please be aware your request will be put on hold until we receive this
clarification.
Kind regards
Miss Natalie Dewing
Data Protection and Information Officer
Community Engagement and Accountability Team
Adult and Community Services
0208 891 7058
[email address]
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Dear Natalie Dewing,
Thank you for your note, requesting additional details.
To hopefully answer your queries:
Q1: I'm interested in the budget, although please include the actual spend if you consider this to be significantly different to the original budget amount.
Q2: I'm afraid I don't know the difference between these types of spending. I'm just interested in overall spend as a percentage of actual budget, however that spend might be categorised.
Q4: By 'modal share', I mean the different transport types. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_share - I'm guessing the transport dept has a usual way to delineate these different types.
Hopefully the Wikipedia article also helps to explain questions 5 and 6. However, in additional explanation, I have been told by councillors that 'cycling has 5% modal share in the borough but 25% of the transport budget', so one goal for this request is to understand how these figures have been arrived at.
Many thanks,
Tim Lennon
OurRef: L/DS/e14051
Dear Tim Lennon,
Your request for information which was received on 18 February has been
considered. Please find our response attached.
Please contact me if you have any queries.
Yours sincerely,
Deepa Shah
Data Protection and Information Officer
<<14051.doc>> <<Appendix A.xls>>
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Tim Lennon left an annotation ()
This is all a bit disappointing. The council seem to think they're spending 'over the odds' on cycling, yet are unable to actually breakdown the figures of what they do spend ...