Publication - FOI/EIR release

M8 motorway bus lanes: EIR Review

Published: 18 September 2024
Topic: Public sector, Transport
FOI reference: EIR/202400405258 Review of 202400399447
Date received: 19 March 2024
Date responded: 17 April 2024

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

Information requested

Original Request 202400405258

(a) Any schematics, drawings or plans that show what work has been done in planning the location of where motorway bus lanes around Glasgow could be situated, together with the preferred options;
(b) Any assessments that have been done on the suitability of the hard shoulder M8 west bound between the slips at Junction 13, as a bus lane;
(c) The most relevant Transport Scotland Board or Management papers that set out the latest proposed time line to implementation of motorway bus lanes around Glasgow;
(d) Any papers that set out how the success of the motorway bus lane at the eastern (Edinburgh) end of the M8 has been assessed, and what the assessment is.

Response

I have now completed an independent review of the response to your request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs) for:

(a) Any schematics, drawings or plans that show what work has been done in planning the location of wheremotorway bus lanes around Glasgow could be situated, together with the preferred options;
(b) Any assessments that have been done on the suitability of the hard shoulder M8 west bound between the slips at Junction 13, as a bus lane;
(c) The most relevant Transport Scotland Board or Management papers that set out the latest proposed time line to implementation of motorway bus lanes around Glasgow;
(d) Any papers that set out how the success of the motorway bus lane at the eastern (Edinburgh) end of the M8 has been assessed, and what the assessment is.

I have concluded that the original decision should be confirmed, with modifications.

As part of my independent review I spoke with the relevant colleagues to get a further understanding of the project in question to assist me in evaluating the initial response you received. Additionally, I reviewed the searches conducted as well as conducting additional independent searches to identify any information held that is in scope of your request. My review conclusions with regards to each part of your request are as follows -

Part (a) – I have concluded that the exception at 10(4)(d) (unfinished documents) of the EIRs does not apply to the information that we hold that falls within the scope of part a) of your request and that this information should be disclosed to you. Therefore, I have attached relevant schematics, drawings and work completed to date held by Transport Scotland. However it should be noted that while there are options which have been appraised, no decision or preferred option has been reached in regards to bus lanes around Glasgow. Please see Annex 1 to this response for additional information to assist with reading the following:
Annex 2 Glasgow Managed Motorways - Extract from GCC Presentation - 16 March 2021
Annex 3 Priority Bus Lane Review - Initial Desk Study - May 2019
Annex 4 Priority Bus Lane Study - Phase 2 - September 2019
Annex 5 Drawing 1
Annex 6 Drawing 2
Annex 7 Drawing 3
Part (b) - I am satisfied that we hold no information that is relevant to this part of your request, and that the exception at 10(4)(a) (information not held) was applied appropriately, including consideration of the public interest test, to this part of your request. The response issued highlighted a recommendation set out in STPR2 stating that bus priority interventions should be implemented within Scotland’s cities and towns where congestion is highest. Transport Scotland does not have assessment results on the suitability of the M8 hard shoulder to be used as a bus lane between slips at Junction 13. Therefore based on the current information that Transport Scotland hold, I agree that there is no additional information that can be provided in regards to this query.
Part (c) - I am satisfied that no information is held that is relevant to this part of your request and therefore that the application of the exception at 10(4)(a), including consideration of the public interest test, should be upheld.
Part (d) - The response detailed that “To date, Transport Scotland has not commissioned an assessment of the success of the AMHS for buses on this section”. It is my understanding that this bit of your request was answered in full. I am satisfied that the exception at 10(4)(a), including consideration of the public interest test, was applied appropriately and should be upheld. At this time this work has not been commissioned, therefore, the requested information is not held by Transport Scotland.

Annex 1

Common acronyms that may be useful when reading documents related to this topic:

BHSR - Bus Hard Shoulder Running
HOV - High Occupancy Vehicle
SG – Scottish Government
TS – Transport Scotland

About FOI

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