EIR/202600501705 · FOI/EIR · partially withheld
Transport Scotland A78 road data: EIR release
Information requested
1. Can you advise me how many complaints you received with regards to the condition of the A78 (between the coastal villages of Inverkip and Wemyss Bay) between the dates of the 25th of April 2025 until the 9 of May 2025.
2. Can you advise me how many times the road was checked for defects at that time and how many were found please.
3. What, if any, action was taken by Amey or another relevant agency?
We received a further email from you on the 27 January asking how many of the complaints were potholes related to Q1. If they were not pothole related what were they in relation to please.
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.
To aid with my response, I have answered in the order that they were received:
Q1. Can you advise me how many complaints you received with regards to the condition of the A78 (between the coastal villages of Inverkip and Wemyss Bay) between the dates of the 25 of April 2025 until the 9 of May 2025 and how many of the complaints were potholes related, if they were not pothole related what were they in relation to please.
A1. Between 25 April and 9 May 2025, three complaints and enquiries were received regarding the condition of the A78 between the coastal villages of Inverkip and Wemyss Bay. All submissions related specifically to the presence of potholes along this section of the route.
Q2. Can you advise how many times the road was checked for defects at that time and how many were found please.
A2. The A78 Trunk Road is inspected for defects twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays, by our operating company, Amey. Any identified defects are addressed in accordance with contractual requirements. Please Annex A for Inspection Roads and Annex B for Defect records.
Q3. What, if any, action was taken by Amey or another relevant agency?
A3. The matters raised in correspondence were replied to in accordance with contractual requirements and any defects were repaired within those time-frames set by the contract.
In addition, Amey’s Incident Support Unit (ISU) is available to respond to reported defects, ensuring they are assessed and managed as appropriately.
About FOI
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Detected exemption language
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.