Decision on public transport fare zones made
The Executive Board of HSL unanimously approved the fare
boundaries of the future fare and ticketing system on 12 June. In
the new system, the fare zones will no longer be based on municipal
boundaries. Instead, the zones will form curve-shaped areas
radiating from the Helsinki city center. The boundaries of the
outer zones will be defined more closely later as new
municipalities join HSL.
The decision is a compromize between the different views
expressed by the region’s municipalities. Most of the proposals
put forward by the municipalities are implemented; for example, the
wide zone B which will comprise e.g. Martinlaakso, Myyrmäki,
Suur-Leppävaara, Suur-Matinkylä and Kauniainen.
The innermost zone A will include Lauttasaari in the west and
Kulosaari in the east. North of Pasila, the zone boundary will
mainly follow the route of the Jokeri bus service 550. The Jokeri
route, as well as Maunula and Oulunkylä railway station, will be
located on zone B
In Espoo, the boundary of zone B will follow Lake Pitkäjärvi
west of Laaksolahti and in the south, the boundary will go between
Suomenoja and Friisilä. Suur-Matinkylä will be located on zone B,
while the Espoonlahti area will be on zone C. The populated areas
of Kauniainen will be part of zone B.
In Vantaa and in the east, the boundary between zones B and C
will mainly follow Ring Road III with a few exceptions; for
example, in Ala-Tikkurila the boundary will follow the municipal
boundary so that Ala-Tikkurila will on zone B as suggested by
Helsinki.
The four metropolitan area cities will be located on zones A, B
and C. Helsinki will be divided over the two innermost zones with
the exception of Östersundom, which will be located on zone C.
A separate study on ticket prices to be conducted
In the three inner zones (ABC), season, value and single tickets
will always be purchased for at least two zones. This means that
the area in which minimum-prize tickets can be used expands, which
will increase the use of public transport in the region. A
three-zone ticket (ABC) will correspond to the current regional
ticket. In the outer zones, also one-zone tickets can be
purchased.
Tram tickets will be retained in the new system. The new system
will include also a supplementary fare, which passengers can pay at
a card reader with Travel Card when they want to travel to a
destination outside the validity area of their season ticket. The
price of supplementary fare will be the same as that of a
corresponding value ticket.
Ticket prices are not yet decided. HSL will launch a follow up
study on the pricing. The possibilities of the member
municipalities for subsidizing ticket prices play a key role in the
pricing. The Executive Board of HSL decides the ticket prices
annually when the budget is set.
The new fare and ticketing system can be introduced once the
technical renewal of the ticketing system is completed, by the end
of 2015 according to current estimates. The new fare system can
thus be introduced at the earliest in 2016.
Maps showing the zones:
Zone boundaries/ Helsinki metropolitan area
Zone boundaries/ Helsinki region