By email
Shed 39, 2 Fryat Quay
Pipitea, Wellington 6011
PO Box 11646
19 December 2018
Manners Street
Wellington 6142
T 04 384 5708
File Ref: OIAP-7-8613
F 04 385 6960
www.gw.govt.nz
Hugh Davenport
[FYI request #9089 email]
Dear Mr Davenport
Request for information 2018-336
I refer to your request for information dated 21 November 2018, which was received by Greater
Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) on 21 November 2018. You have requested the following
information:
“I would like any information about the location of the bus mentioned below. This can include, but
is not limited to:
- GPS data
- Dashcam footage
- Driver log sheets (with personal information redacted of course)
- Snapper data (with personal information redacted of course)
- Timetable information
The bus information is:
Time: 5:21pm, 24th October 2018
Location: Victoria St, by Ghuznee St, travelling south.
Bus number: 3509, route 7, LLC93
If any of this information does not match (such as bus 3509 was not on route 7 at the time, etc), then
could I please have any information about busses that may have been in the approximate area at the
time.”
GWRC’s response follows:
Attachment 1 provides the scheduled and actual departure and arrival times at Stops 6710 (Victoria
Street at Ghuznee Street) at 5.22pm for the bus number 3509 operated on route 7 on 24 October
2018. This information is extracted from the Real Time Information (RTI) data that identifies the
location of the bus.
While Snapper data contains information about the time and location of buses using passengers tag
on and off transactions, we do not use this information for the purpose of tracking bus movements in
RESPONSE TO OIA 2018-336
the normal course of business. Snapper transaction data is not designed for tracking the movement
of buses or monitoring their performance.
Snapper data also contains personal information that could be potentially used to identify the
location of the passengers who use Snapper ticketing products. Releasing Snapper data is a potential
security risk to individuals and may undermine the privacy of the persons who use the Metlink bus
services. This information has, therefore, been withheld under section 7(2)(a) of the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (the Act) on the ground that withholding
of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons.
We have considered whether the public interest in the requested information outweighs GWRC’s
need to withhold the Snapper data. As a result, we do not consider that the public interest outweighs
GWRC’s reason for withholding the information under the grounds identified above.
The driver log sheet and dashcam footage are information held by operators and are not designed to
record and monitor location of buses. Access to bus dashcam footage is subject to GWRC’s Camera
Surveillance Policy. This information and the information contained in driver log sheets are owned
and controlled by the operators of bus services, and can therefore be requested directly from the
operator.
Attachment 2 is a copy of the latest Camera Surveillance Policy – further information on the
location and purpose of GWRC and operator-controlled surveillance information can be accessed
from the following links:
https://www.metlink.org.nz/customer-services/security/ https://www.metlink.org.nz/privacy
The timetable information for bus route 7 is available on the Metlink website at the following link:
https://www.metlink.org.nz/timetables/bus/7
Please note that on 11 November 2018, additional buses were added to Route 7 for weekday and
Saturday evening services, to provide more regular buses every 15 minutes until 8.00pm from city.
Prior to that, services were operating every 30 minutes from 7.00pm weekdays and from 6.00pm on
Saturdays.
If you have any concerns with the decision(s) referred to in this letter, you have the right to request
an investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 27(3) of the Act.
Yours sincerely
Angus Gabara General Manager, Public Transport (Acting)
RESPONSE TO OIA 2018-336
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