FOI request (FOIR-651190345)

Public sector vehicle fleets and associated systems

Requested Tue 01 October 2024
Responded Thu 17 October 2024

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please may I request the following information in a excel spreadsheet format if possible.

These are all questions pertaining to Local Authority/Public Sector vehicle fleets and associated systems.

1. Full fleet list with vehicle makes, types, and quantities.

2. Any fleet replacement programmes planned for the next five years, with details of the manufacturer that will be used if already agreed.

3. Total number of vehicles with CCTV camera systems installed.

4. Who is the CCTV system provider?

5. Total Number of vehicles with vehicle tracking/telematics installed.

6. Who is the Telematics system provider?

7. Contract budgets, length of contract, expiry date, and annual spend for telematics and camera systems.

8. Details of all safety-related incidents in the last five years.

9. Do you currently operate waste services (collections) directly, or through a waste/recycling/street cleansing contractor such as Biffa, Suez or Veolia? If through a contractor, please name them (if relevant).

10. Which of the IT systems below do you use for the management of day-to-day municipal waste management/cleansing services (if relevant):

a. Yotta

b. Bartec Collective

c. Whitespace/Powersuite

d. Selected Interventions/Echo

e. Core (Suez)

f. Webaspx

g. Other (please name)

11. When is your current contract for the IT system OR outsourced waste contract for waste collections management due to expire (if relevant)?

Response

Please see the attached document containing the requested information in regards to vehicles and CCTV.

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested in respect of our contracts is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act - Commercially Sensitive Information - Information prejudicing commercial interests - commercial interest relating to an organisations commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the 'public interest test'. When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure.

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define 'in the public interest', there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest. In applying the public interest test, a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public. Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

a) accountability of public spending.

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves. In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

a) ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly.

b) damage to reputation and/or financial interests.

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure.

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.