COVID-19 impact on Spaces for People: FOI release

Information requested

1. The report showing that people in Scotland want roads narrowed or closed and cycle lanes built?
2 . The legal opinion given to the Scottish Government regarding the legality of using Covid legislation to introduce changes to roads?
3. Evidence that Covid was transmitted by people passing each other on pavements?
4. A full list of all the comments and unofficial complaints given to the Scottish Government regarding Spaces for People and the action taken in response to each?

Response

I enclose the information you requested related to question 4 in Annex A.

The Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have asked for because:

1. We hold no information relating to people in Scotland wanting narrowed roads or cycling lanes built relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spaces for People was established quickly as an emergency response to the pandemic in order to protect public health. 

2. The Scottish Government did not use COVID-19 legislation to introduce road changes. The Scottish Government supported local authorities to use existing Temporary Traffic Regulation Order legislation to make temporary adaptions to their road network in response to the public health emergency.

3. We hold no information specific to evidence that covid-19 was transmitted by people passing each other on pavements. According to current evidence, the COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets, particularly in indoor settings when in close proximity with others for a prolonged period, and through contact routes.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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.

FOI - 202100136302 - Annex A

File type

101 page PDF

File size

4.5 MB