Cycling event on Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty: EIR release

 

Please provide me with the following information regarding the cycling event on the AWPR over Sept 8-9, 2018:

• How many bicycles were provided for people to use?

• Where did the bicycles come from?

• What was the cost of obtaining/ borrowing the bicycles for the event?

 

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

For clarity, I have provided your response to each of your three questions underneath your original request.

How many bicycles were provided for people to use?

For the Go North East Road Festival, a ‘borrow a bike’ facility was made available on both days of the event on the 8th and 9th September. Over 195 bikes were provided for cyclists of various ages and abilities.

The Go North East Cycle Experience, held on the 9th October, involved 1500 people who preregistered and were asked to bring their own bikes to the event. No bikes were provided.

Where did the bicycles come from?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not have. The event supplier’s brief was to work with local companies to supply as many bikes as possible. However we currently do not hold the name of individual suppliers of bikes.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. While we recognise there may be some public interest in where the bicycles come from clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

 

What was the cost of obtaining/ borrowing the bicycles for the event?

The event supplier has confirmed that the cost for the ‘borrow a bike’ facility for the Go North East Road Festival was just over £8,000. This included the hire of adult bikes and the cost to buy children’s bikes of various sizes and style. Some children’s bikes had to be purchased as there was no rental stock available. Bikes that were purchased will be donated locally.