Department of Infrastructure
952 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 47.4%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure reveal an authority that is selectively transparent, often prioritizing commercial confidentiality and administrative convenience over public scrutiny. A recurring theme is the 'black box' nature of major transport procurement; while the Department readily discloses the existence of projects like the Douglas Promenade or the purchase of Mercedes buses, it consistently withholds specific financial figures, citing commercial sensitivity (Cases 355921, 361167). Furthermore, the Department frequently relies on the 'information not held' exemption to avoid answering questions about specific costs for major events like the TT (Case 355883) or historical road adoptions (Case 355761), suggesting significant gaps in data retention and financial granularity.
Key Cases
Case 355857 — This case marks a critical turning point where the Department invoked the 'vexatious' exemption to block a series of requests regarding the Douglas Promenade and steam locomotives. It highlights the tension between persistent public scrutiny and the administrative burden, effectively shutting down a line of inquiry that had previously yielded partial results.
Case 355921 — A significant disclosure regarding the procurement of Mercedes buses, where the Department explicitly cited commercial sensitivity to withhold pricing and contract details. This case exemplifies the 'black box' nature of major transport spending, where the public knows buses were bought but not the specific financial terms.
Case 449033 — This case is notable for being 'Upheld - partial' following an internal review. The Information Commissioner found the Department had incorrectly applied a 'not held' exemption to the ZipTrip app costs, forcing a re-processing. It serves as a rare instance of the Department's initial refusal being challenged and corrected, revealing hidden financial data.
Case 355883 — The refusal to provide specific costs for TT (Tourist Trophy) road repairs, claiming they are not recorded separately from normal activities. Given the TT is the island's most significant economic event, the inability to isolate its infrastructure costs raises questions about financial accountability for major events.
Case 358461 — The complete withholding of information regarding a 2013 electric shock incident on the Manx Electric Railway due to 'ongoing legal proceedings.' This case underscores how legal risk is used as a blanket exemption to prevent the public from understanding the safety history of heritage transport.
Related FOI Stories
The Douglas Promenade: From Transparency to Vexatious Refusal — #355795, #355857, #355859, #355861, #355863
Commercial Secrecy in Transport Procurement — #355763, #355921, #361167, #355893, #356129
Data Gaps and 'Not Held' Defenses — #355761, #355773, #355883, #355895, #361191
Safety Incidents and Legal Exemptions — #358443, #358461, #355863, #355921, #548540
Housing and Social Welfare Opacity — #355805, #358449, #358451, #355925, #647165
All (952)
All information sent (451) ·
Some information sent but not all held (145) ·
Information not held (123) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (120) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (53) ·
Not required to fulfill request (22) ·
Not upheld (12) ·
Upheld - partial (10) ·
Vexatious request (6) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (5) ·
Withdrawn (3) ·
Upheld - full (1) ·
Neither confirm or deny information held (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-14 | Steam Locomotive Boilers | All information sent |
| A request was made for details on steam locomotive boiler orders and repairs from 2016 to present, to which the Department of Infrastructure responded by providing technical drawings and specifications for Isle of Man Railway locomotives. | ||
| 2021-12-08 | Princes Dock Liverpool | All information sent |
| The request sought details on the Isle of Man government's lease terms for the Princes Dock river berth and adjoining land. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that two separate leases exist with specific start dates, durations, and no provisions for renewal. | ||
| 2021-12-07 | Number of electric cars registered | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for annual electric car registration figures for the Isle of Man between 2016 and 2021, but the Department of Infrastructure could not provide data in that specific format due to recording limitations. Instead, the authority disclosed the total number of registered electric vehicles as of December 2021 and provided a link to a graph showing data from July 2019 onwards. | ||
| 2021-12-06 | Provide a full list of all issues logged in respect of Garff | All information sent |
| 2021-12-02 | Vehicle Registration on Isle of Man | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the total number of vehicles with valid road tax on the Isle of Man. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that there are currently 75,908 such vehicles, noting the figure changes daily. | ||
| 2021-11-22 | DoI ANPR system | All information sent |
| 2021-11-18 | Mini Buses | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Infrastructure for details regarding the quantity, cost, lifespan, trade-in value, and disposal of Mercedes Sprinter minibuses. The authority confirmed that all requested information was sent to the applicant. | ||
| 2021-11-04 | Coal | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for the weight of coal delivered or used by the Department of Infrastructure for the Steam Railway between 2016 and 2021. The Department disclosed usage figures for 2019, 2020, and 2021 but confirmed that data for 2016-2018 was not recorded by volume. | ||
| 2021-11-04 | Engines | All information sent |
| The request sought the operational status, expenditure, and maintenance history of Isle of Man Steam Railway locomotives since January 2020. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed a detailed table listing the status, costs, and specific work carried out for 21 locomotives. | ||
| 2021-11-02 | Steam Railway Expenses | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Infrastructure for details on the running costs, restoration expenses, and ongoing projects for the Isle of Man Steam Railway. The authority disclosed specific financial figures for the 2020 calendar year and 2020/21 financial year, including costs for the restoration of Loco 11 Maitland. | ||
| 2021-11-01 | Qualifications for the post of Security Manager at the Sea Terminal | All information sent |
| A request was made for the qualifications required for the Security Manager post at the Sea Terminal. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that while no formal person specification exists, specific experience and certifications are expected for the role. | ||
| 2021-11-01 | Hourly operational cost of sea terminal | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for the hourly operational cost of the Isle of Man Sea Terminal when open versus closed was partially fulfilled, as the Department of Infrastructure stated the data is not recorded in a format allowing for hourly breakdowns. The authority provided total annual costs for security, energy, maintenance, and cleaning for the 2020/21 financial year instead. | ||
| 2021-10-25 | Ballabeg 'red' crossings. | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for details regarding the design, approval, costs, and legal status of red crossings in Ballabeg, citing public interest due to recent court findings. The Department of Infrastructure released a traffic management report by JMP Consultants Ltd but withheld specific information on costs and individual names under partial exemption. | ||
| 2021-10-22 | Revenue for used buses | All information sent |
| A request was made for records of revenue generated from selling used buses by the Department of Infrastructure from the 2015-16 financial year onwards. The authority disclosed the specific revenue figures for each year in that period and noted that all sales were conducted via DOI auctions. | ||
| 2021-10-21 | Fireworks | All information sent |
| The request sought correspondence between the Department of Infrastructure and Douglas Borough Council regarding the cancellation of the November 5, 2021, firework display. The authority disclosed all information, revealing that the event was cancelled due to delays in promenade refurbishment works, though the Remembrance Sunday service proceeded. | ||
| 2021-10-21 | Parking Tickets | All information sent |
| The requester asked for annual parking ticket statistics, traffic warden inspection data, and specific fund allocation details for Douglas disc zones. The Department of Infrastructure provided ticket and visit counts for two specific streets but stated that fine revenue goes into general government funds. | ||
| 2021-10-18 | Sweeper duties | All information sent |
| A request was made for data on road sweeper usage, mileage, and staffing over the last two years. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that they only manage strategic links, do not hold daily usage records, and employ no full-time sweeper drivers. | ||
| 2021-10-15 | Queens Pier | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the agreement, access walkway width, and plans regarding the Queens Pier Restoration Trust's fenced area and car park. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed the full agreement and a plan of the allocated area, noting that specific clauses outline vehicle access rights. | ||
| 2021-10-15 | Active Travel Plan Expenditure | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for expenditure records, promotional activity details, and active travel statistics for the Isle of Man's Active Travel Plan. The Department of Infrastructure responded that some information was sent, but not all requested data was held. | ||
| 2021-10-13 | Location of disabled parking places in Douglas | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request was made for a comprehensive list of disabled parking bays in Douglas, including locations and time restrictions, excluding reserved bays. The Department of Infrastructure responded with a detailed table listing specific street locations, side of the road, and operating hours for numerous bays, despite the metadata indicating the request was not required to be fulfilled. | ||
| 2021-10-07 | Vehicle Purchases | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Infrastructure for the number of diesel and petrol vehicles purchased since the May 2019 climate emergency declaration. The authority disclosed that zero petrol vehicles and 186 diesel vehicles were acquired during this period. | ||
| 2021-10-04 | Full river maintenance plans for Laxey rivers | All information sent |
| A request was made for all river maintenance plans for rivers in Laxey, and the Department of Infrastructure responded by providing the full Laxey River Maintenance Plan covering the 2020-2024 period. | ||
| 2021-09-30 | Driving test Pass/Fail Quota | Information not held |
| The requester asked for compulsory pass and fail quotas for driving tests in the Isle of Man. The Department of Infrastructure responded that the information is not held because such quotas do not exist. | ||
| 2021-09-28 | Equality Impact Assessment Request | Information not held |
| A request was made for the Equality Impact Assessment regarding the Ramsey Quayside flood defence and carriageway regeneration scheme. The Department of Infrastructure responded that the information is not held as the assessment is currently in draft form and expected to be completed by December 2021. | ||
| 2021-09-28 | Parking for van and motorcycle users on Douglas prom | All information sent |
| A request was made regarding parking regulations, penalty statistics, and bay dimensions for vans and motorcycles on the Douglas promenade following regeneration works. The Department of Infrastructure confirmed current parking permissions, provided total penalty ticket figures for 2021, and detailed the specific dimensions of parking bays before and after the scheme. | ||
| 2021-09-27 | Douglas Promenade Digital Counter | All information sent |
| A request was made regarding the cost, location, and condition of a digital pedestrian counter installed on the Douglas Promenade, to which the Department of Infrastructure responded by providing all relevant emails and documents. | ||
| 2021-09-24 | disabled (blue badge holders ) drivers | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for statistics on disabled drivers retaking tests, the rationale for three-year license validity, and authority for license suspensions without court orders. The Department of Infrastructure responded by providing a general guide to applying for driving licenses rather than the specific statistical data or policy explanations requested. | ||
| 2021-09-21 | car park space size | Information not held |
| A request was made for legislation-based car parking space sizes and design standards, to which the Department of Infrastructure responded that no specific legislation exists and they do not hold the requested information, though they provided a link to their guidance document. | ||
| 2021-09-15 | Castle Street Road One Way / Road Closure | Withdrawn |
| The request sought internal correspondence and timelines regarding a temporary one-way traffic order on Castle Street, Castletown, to facilitate scaffolding for the Derby House redevelopment. The request was ultimately withdrawn by the applicant on 29 November 2021, though the response documents included internal emails discussing the proposal and its impact on bus services. | ||
| 2021-09-13 | passenger arrivals per day in March 2020 and March 2019 | All information sent |
| The request sought daily passenger arrival data for March 2019 and March 2020 by sea and air, along with corroborating air passenger duty information. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed total monthly arrival figures for both sea and air transport but did not provide daily breakdowns or air passenger duty data. | ||
| 2021-09-09 | Cost and tender process for new airport website | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought the total cost, cost breakdown, advertising revenue recipient, and tender details for the new airport.im website. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed the total cost, revenue arrangement, and bid count, but withheld the cost breakdown citing commercial sensitivity. | ||
| 2021-08-30 | Speed Limit Changes and Processes | All information sent |
| The request sought details on speed limit changes in 2021, including specific locations, legislative orders, and supporting data. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that two speed limits were changed to 30 mph in specific areas and outlined the procedural steps taken under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1985. | ||
| 2021-08-30 | 5G safety Data | Information not held |
| A request for safety data and research regarding 5G usage in the Isle of Man was submitted to the Department of Infrastructure, which responded that it does not hold the information as it is not the responsible authority. | ||
| 2021-08-18 | Non-operational status of Isle of Man Airport Inshore Rescue Boat | All information sent |
| A request was made regarding the non-operational status of the Isle of Man Airport Inshore Rescue Boat, to which the Department of Infrastructure responded that the vessel has been out of service since 2013 due to age and that the new boat's deployment is delayed by pandemic-related training issues. | ||
| 2021-08-17 | Role and funding of Footpath Friends | All information sent |
| The request sought details on the Department of Infrastructure's funding and contractual arrangements with the group Footpath Friends. The authority disclosed that the group received £25,000 annually for three years to undertake agreed works, which were monitored on a job-by-job basis, and confirmed the contract has since expired. | ||
| 2021-08-02 | 40 mph buffer zone - Poortown Road | All information sent |
| The requester asked for justification regarding the use of 2011 traffic data and evidence of officer experience and police support for a 40mph buffer zone on Poortown Road. The Department of Infrastructure responded by providing all requested information, including a 36-page guidance document on speed limits and traffic calming thresholds. | ||
| 2021-08-02 | Ballacollister Road | All information sent |
| The requester asked for documents and reasons regarding the cancellation of planned resurfacing works on Ballacollister Road after a sign was removed without explanation. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that the works were delayed because the proposed Traffic Management Plan was rejected, though a revised plan has since been approved. | ||
| 2021-07-26 | Policy regarding planning permission for works in Conservation areas | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made to the Department of Infrastructure regarding planning permissions and decision-making processes for road works in Kirk Michael's conservation area. The authority responded with some information but confirmed that not all requested documents were held. | ||
| 2021-07-26 | Decision not to publicise Sunflower lanyard scheme at IoM Airport | All information sent |
| The requester asked for information regarding the decision not to publicise the Sunflower lanyard scheme at Isle of Man Airport due to fears of misuse. The Department of Infrastructure confirmed that while the scheme was initially not publicised for this reason, the decision has since been reversed and information is now available on the airport website. | ||
| 2021-07-20 | Social Housing Provision & Occupancy Rates - Southern Areas | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought detailed statistics on social housing provision, occupancy, and allocation points for southern Isle of Man areas from 2016 to 2021. The Department of Infrastructure responded that it does not hold data broken down by the specific areas requested, but provided figures by local authority operator and noted that sheltered housing data post-2019 is aggregated under the Southern Sheltered Housing Joint Board. | ||
| 2021-07-20 | Supplemental to Request 1912569 on 20/7/2020 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought average waiting list numbers and applicant breakdowns for general needs public sector housing in five specific Isle of Man areas over five years. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that data for Arbory and Rushen showed no applications from their commissioners, while providing detailed tables for Castletown, Port Erin, Port St Mary, and the Department itself, noting a lack of household type breakdown for Castletown in 2018-19. | ||
| 2021-07-20 | Vehicle Driving Tests | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for a breakdown of car driving tests by specific engine and transmission types over the last 12 months. The Department of Infrastructure responded that they do not record vehicle make, model, or engine type, but provided figures for manual and automatic transmission tests only. | ||
| 2021-07-19 | Driving Test results Isle of Man - 10 years data | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for 10 years of Isle of Man driving test results broken down by age, gender, test number, result, and date/time was partially fulfilled by the Department of Infrastructure. The authority provided aggregated statistical data for the financial years 2018/2019 through 2021/2022 but did not hold or release the specific date and time details for every individual test requested. | ||
| 2021-07-15 | Travelling to your new school Bus Vannin Video | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Infrastructure for the production cost of the 'Travelling to your new school Bus Vannin' video. The authority disclosed that the total cost was £350 plus VAT. | ||
| 2021-07-12 | Governors Bridge Surveying Work | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the reason behind surveying work at Governors Bridge in June 2021 and any future proposals. The Department of Infrastructure confirmed the survey was for collecting information on future policy options but stated there are no current proposals. | ||
| 2021-07-08 | RTC at St Ninnians Junction in Douglas | All information sent |
| A request was made for details of road traffic collisions at St Ninnians Junction in Douglas over the last five years. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that two personal injury collisions occurred during this period, though police collision numbers were redacted to protect individual identities. | ||
| 2021-07-07 | Wildlife control | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought details on wildlife control methods, kill counts, and nest destruction at Manx Care and DOI premises since 2016. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed the specific methods used for health and safety reasons but stated it does not record the requested statistical data on numbers of animals killed or nests destroyed. | ||
| 2021-06-30 | Planning application 18/00240/B | Information not held |
| A request was made for officer notebooks, phone notes, diary entries, and photographs related to planning application 18/00240/B for Ballavarvane, St Marks. The Department of Infrastructure responded that the information is not held because the officers involved have left the department and their personal accounts and notes were deleted. | ||
| 2021-06-30 | Planning application 20/01215/B | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for officer notebooks, phone notes, and diary entries regarding planning application 20/01215/B for Ballavarvane Farm, resulting in the disclosure of email correspondence concerning highway safety and access design, though not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2021-06-29 | Isle of Man Heritage Railways | All information sent |
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