Grant for Bo'ness and Area Community Bus Association: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/01102
Date received: 10 April 2018
Date responded: 9 May 2018

Information requested

Information regarding the Bo'ness and Area Community Bus Association SCIO.

1. How much money in grant funding, service level payments or agreements from January 2015 to the present day has been paid to this organisation,

2. Has Transport Scotland supplied any vehicle on loan or gifted to this organisation from January 2015 to the present day.

Response

The answer to your question is:

Transport Scotland has provided Bus Service Operator Grant totalling £3,578.98 in the period January 2015 to the present day to Bo'ness and Area Community Bus Association. No service level payments or agreements were made in this period. Transport Scotland has not supplied any vehicle on loan or gifted to this organisation in the same period.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 33 (1) (b) (Commercial Interests and the economy) of FOISA applies to that information. The reason why that exemption applies is explained below.

Reasons for not providing information

Under Section 33 (1) (b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, information may be withheld if its disclosure would be likely to prejudice substantially the commercial interests of any person or organisation.

Information about concessionary travel reimbursement paid by Transport Scotland to Bo'ness and Area Community Bus Association has been withheld. This information, if released, could likely be used by a rival operator(s) to determine if the route is commercially viable and be used to their advantage thus substantially prejudicing the commercial interests of Bo'ness and Area Community Bus Association.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses