Paycards and electronic payments (FOI)

​Request

A

How much it costs every year to print and produce paycards;

B

The level of profit made using the current paycard system;

C

Whether production of paycards is being scaled back in anticipation of new technology;

D

How much commission is made by using the electronic app rolled out in Jersey;

E

Why the electronic registration system used in Sand Street hasn’t been rolled out elsewhere?

F

The level of profits made by Sand Street car park before and since the introduction of the electronic registration system?

Response

A

The information that has been requested is exempt under Article 33(b) ‘Commercial interests' of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (the Law) and is therefore withheld.

B

Surpluses on the Jersey Car Park Trading Account are re-invested in the car parks, either for construction, maintenance or operation of the parking facilities, paid and free, in the island. The Trading Account also contributes towards Sustainable Transport Initiatives, Road Safety Schemes and the disabled Bus Pass.

Please refer to the response made to a previous request for further information:

Paid parking income and expense (FOI)

C

Production is being monitored and will be reduced as our customers migrate to our new mobile payment system.

D

The information that has been requested is exempt under Article 23 ‘Information accessible to applicant by other means' of the Law.

Please refer to the response made to a previous similar request:

Paid parking income and expense (FOI)

E

Mobile phone technology has advanced a long way since automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) was introduced at Sand Street in 2012 and by using a mobile phone payment system it is producing a major saving on capital infrastructure and maintenance costs.

F

Please refer to the response to questions (2) and (4) above.

Exemptions applied

Article 23 Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.

Article 33(b) Commercial interest - prejudice commercial interests

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Justification for exemption

Disclosing the specific printing costs would, or would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of a person. The Department is currently in the final stages of tendering the new contract for manufacture, supply and distribution of paycards. The Ministerial Decision tender report will be put in the public domain when completed.

Having considered the public interest, the Public Authority's decision is to withhold the information.