Road Races Act 2016

Summary

The requester asked how visitors are informed about the Road Races Act 2016 and whether this information appears on travel documents. The Department for Enterprise disclosed that while they do not specifically publicize the Act, they provide safety guidance, road closure notices, and offence warnings via the TT website, local press, radio, social media, and physical leaflets, but confirmed they hold no information regarding travel booking documents.

Key Facts

• The Department does not specifically make visitors aware of the Road Races Act 2016 requirements.
• The official TT website provides a spectator charter warning of financial penalties and custodial sentences for non-compliance.
• Road closure information is published in local press, race guides, and on the gov.im/roadwatch website.
• The Department for Infrastructure distributes leaflets outlining offences for entering closed roads at police stations and the Sea Terminal.
• The Department holds no information provided to visitors booking travel to the Isle of Man during the TT.

Data Disclosed

• 2019-06-13
• 2019-07-10
• 855266
• 3
• 1
• 2016
• 2019
• Section 8

Original Request

1. Can you advise how visitors are made aware of this statute? Is information relating to this available on the TT Website or via local press? 2. Is it printed on the back of travel documents? Is it sent in an information pack to people who book travel? 3. Please provide proof or evidence of where this information is provided to visitors to the TT "

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator 1st Floor, St Georges Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX

Telephone: (01624 682381) Website: www.gov.im/ded Email: anthony.walker@gov.im

Our ref: 855266 10 July 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request on the Road Races Act 2016, which was received on 13 June 2019, and which states:

"1. Can you advise how visitors are made aware of this statute [the Road Races Act 2016]? Is information relating to this available on the TT Website or via local press? 2. Is it printed on the back of travel documents? Is it sent in an information pack to people who book travel? 3. Please provide proof or evidence of where this information is provided to visitors to the TT? "

Our response to your request is as follows: 1. The Department does not specifically make visitors aware of the requirements of the Road Races Act 2016. However the official Isle of Man TT Races website provides spectators, visitors and residents with best practice guides to spectating and also identifies the possibility that failure to adhere to any of the guidance may result in an offence being committed, punishable by financial penalties and / or custodial sentence. Please refer to the spectator charter which is available on the official TT website: https://www.iomttraces.com/racing/spectate/spectator-s-charter In addition, the Department placed advertisements in the local press in advance of the event noting that roads will be closed to the public. The information on road closures is also available on the website: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/iom-tt-races/road-closures-tt-2019.pdf The same information shown on the official website is also printed within all race guides and programmes. A copy of this information is attached for reference.

The Department for Infrastructure (DOI) also publish leaflets which clearly outline that it is an offence to enter a closed road (see section 8 of the leaflet). These are available from Police stations, the DOI, the Sea Terminal Welcome Centre. A copy of the leaflet is attached. The information is also available online at the following address during the race period: www.gov.im/roadwatch In addition, a copy of the road closure notice is provided in letter format to all properties adjoining the course to ensure that all occupants and spectators are aware of the closures and restrictions.
Throughout the event, daily announcements were made by Manx Radio outlining road closures and informing persons not to enter closed roads. The Department does not hold copies of the broadcasts however a number of media statement links are listed below: https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/tt-organisers-issue-closed-roads- warning/ https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/roads-closed-photo-culprits-sought/ https://www.three.fm/news/isle-of-man-news/stay-off-closed-roads-warn-officials/ The Department also published a number of social media announcements regarding restrictions through the Isle of Man TT Races account. Copies of those social media posts are attached. 2. The Department does hold any information provided to visitors booking travel to the Isle of Man during TT. 3. See response to question 1. You may also wish to contact the Department for Infrastructure or the Isle of Man Constabulary to find out more about the information provided to visitors on offences under the Road Races Act 2016. Please quote the reference number 855266 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely