HSL is now offering discounts on ticket prices. Last year, ticket prices were increased dramatically in core areas.
Public transport the reduction in ticket prices is the chairman Pekka Saurin (green) thinks this is very good news.
He heads the board of Helsinki Region Transport (HSL), which meets on Tuesday to decide on next year’s ticket prices.
At the beginning of last year, HSL significantly reduced the ticket prices in the ABCD zone, but the increase in the number of passengers has not covered the revenue losses accumulated from the reduction.
“The purpose is to accelerate the increase in the number of passengers. In the core area, especially in the AB zone, passenger numbers have not started to rise.”
The number of passengers in HSL’s area has not yet reached the level of 2019 before the corona pandemic.
The board of HSL is presented with a discount for short trips, i.e. season and single tickets for two zones, which, depending on the type of ticket, is 5–6 percent. According to the proposal, the average discount for all public transport trips is 4 percent, but ticket prices for three or four zones will not be reduced, but neither will they be increased.
Ticket prices by raising the price, HSL was able to rectify its bad financial situation after the corona virus, but the dissatisfaction of passengers, especially in Helsinki, has been great.
After the separate tram ticket was removed from the ticket selection, the residents of the A-zone have persistently demanded their own one-zone ticket.
However, Sauri does not interpret that the political pressure grew so great that the prices had to be lowered. He might not admit that the previous and widely criticized increase in ticket prices was a mistake.
“This is the kind of balancing act where every year there is a new grace.”
Helsinki’s politicians, on the other hand, have presented a separate ticket type for Helsinki passengers, because Helsinki, unlike the other eight HSL member municipalities, could afford to put more tax funds into public transport.
The implementation of a discount ticket tailored for Helsinki residents would be difficult to implement and monitor.
“This presented discount is good news for travelers in the core area,” says Sauri.
He reminds that the series tickets that were in trial use were also discount tickets, because their user got 1-2 trips for free. Series tickets are now going to be made permanent.
of HSL passenger surveys have shown that high ticket prices have restrained the growth of passenger numbers in the AB region and especially in tram transport.
Based on the survey, the use of public transport has also been reduced by large street works on Mannerheimintie, Pasila and Kalasatama.
“Since new street works are coming in the next few years, there is a good reason to make discounts on ticket prices,” says Sauri.
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