Publication - FOI/EIR release

Transport Scotland - Callander traffic survey data: EIR release

Published: 17 February 2026
Topic: Public sector, Transport
FOI reference: EIR/202500495970
Date received: 1 December 2025
Date responded: 17 December 2025

Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Information requested

"A traffic survey was conducted through Callander’s Main Street and Stirling Road in October 2025.

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, we are requesting:

1. the full data-set collected from this survey. It is expected this will include:

(1). 10 highest recorded speeds across each surveyed location, including related dates and times of these speeds

(2). 10 lowest recorded speeds across each surveyed location, including related dates and times of these speeds

(3). Percentage of vehicles exceeding the speed limit at each location

(4). Percentage of vehicles exceeding the ACPO limit at each location

(5). Percentage of vehicles exceeding the DfT limit at each location

(6). Mean speed at each location

(7). 85th percentile speed at each location

2. the subsequent report on the survey results, including how this data was analysed and conclusions draw

3. a detailed cost breakdown for the traffic speed survey in October 2025, including consultation (prior to or during the survey), staffing, equipment, analysis and any other costs."

Response

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.

Q. 1, (1) and (2)

A. 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. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because Transport Scotland has not been supplied with the full vehicle by vehicle data set.

This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about vehicle by vehicle data sets, we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

Q. 1, (3)-(7)

A. Please see Annex's A-I for information requested.

Please note that the speed surveys were undertaken by the data collection company ‘Tracsis’ and is reported in their standard format for UK clients. It is highlighted that the ACPO (vehicles traveling 10% +2 over Posted Speed Limit) and DFT limits (vehicles 15mph over Posted Speed Limit), requested in 1(4) and 1(5) are not applicable in Scotland and are only applicable to England and Wales. These were not requested by Transport Scotland and have only been included as they have reported the results in their standard format.

Due to the nature of the equipment, surveys are not 100% error free. As Transport Scotland does not currently hold the specific vehicle by vehicle data we have not, at present, been able to investigate any anomalously high readings which can sometimes occur with Automated Traffic Counts using pneumatic tubes.

Q. 2

A. 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. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because the current survey results have not been analysed at the time of this request.

This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about traffic survey results, we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

Q. 3

A. 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. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because our Operating Company, BEAR Scotland can only provide the total cost provided by the Third-Party Subcontractor and does not include cost per site.

This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about the breakdown of costs for the traffic survey, we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

Our operating Company, BEAR Scotland have advised us that the average cost per counter site for this survey was £121.83.

About FOI

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