Safety and security

Call the emergency number 112

• in the event of sudden, severe illness
• in the event of a violent incident
• in the event of fire 
• if you are threatened or you feel threatened on public transport, at a station or at a stop
• if you cannot notify the driver of a disturbance
• in other emergency situations, such as people or objects on the track, or anything that may cause danger
  

Tell the emergency response center

•     who you are
•     what has happened
•     which vehicle you are travelling in (if possible, find out also the              vehicle number or other identifier)
•     your location

Do not hang up until you are given permission to do so.

On commuter train services, you can also contact Safety center (tel. +358 50 44 333 58) and on the metro, you can contact the metro security control room (tel. +358 9 3101 2112). You can call these numbers in non-urgent matters, such as if you notice an unattended bag.

Commuter trains and metro also have an emergency phone or SOS phone which you can use to directly contact the driver if necessary.

On buses, you can report any disturbances to the driver. In an emergency, you can also call the emergency number 112.

If the vehicle stops due to a technical problem or another issue, wait for instructions from the staff. In the event of an evacuation, the staff will guide you safely out. Do not leave the scene until you have received permission to do so from either the transport staff or the rescue department.

It may be dangerous to move around independently outside the vehicle. There may be electric charge in the electrical conductors or there may be other trains using the tracks.

A fire on board a vehicle always poses a serious hazard. Move away from the fire and listen to the instructions given by the staff. Public transport vehicles also have manual fire extinguishing equipment. Their location is indicated by signs. If the vehicle is in a tunnel when the fire breaks out, it is important to know the direction of escape when evacuating.

Evacuation situations in tunnels

Ring Rail Line Airport Tunnel

The Ring Rail Line Airport tunnel consists of two parallel tunnels for trains travelling in opposite directions. In the event of fire, passengers are instructed to move via the passageways to the adjacent tunnel. Evacuation instructions are issued by the transport staff and, if necessary, instructions are issued through the emergency alert system. People are permitted to leave the train only once other traffic within the tunnel has been stopped. 

Take into account the height difference between the floor of the train carriage and the ground if you have to leave the train outside the platform area. The safest thing to do is to sit down at the open door and then lower yourself from the train to the ground.

Partitioned passageways have been built between the railway tunnels, and these can be accessed via the green doors. There are signs guiding you to the nearest passageway. The door to the passageway must be closed as soon as possible.

In the passageway, you can find the location of the passageway and the escape route map, which shows the location of the nearest escape route in the railway tunnel.

Stations, railway tunnels and passageways have emergency phones for contacting the rail traffic technical control room.

Metro tunnel

There are no separate connecting passages or rescue passages in the metro tunnel. If the metro stops in the tunnel, wait for instructions from the transport staff or authorities.

Walking along the metro tracks is life-threatening, as the electric conductors for the metro trains are located at track level.

Paloheinä public transport tunnel

The Paloheinä public transport tunnel is used by trunk route 560. In the event of fire, passengers are instructed to move through the green doors located in the tunnel to the adjacent rescue tunnel. Evacuation instructions are issued by the transport staff and, if necessary, instructions are issued through the emergency alert system. Once in the rescue tunnel, proceed towards the tunnel opening from which it is possible to safely exit. The door to the rescue tunnel must be closed as soon as possible.

The commuter trains have an emergency brake. Metro trains and metro stations are equipped with an emergency stop device. The emergency brake or emergency stop device should be used if there is a person or a dangerous object on the track and the hazardous situation cannot be otherwise avoided. The emergency brake or emergency stop device can also be used if the commuter train or metro train has started moving and a passenger is trapped in the door.

Unnecessary use of the emergency brake or emergency stop device is punishable by law.

The majority of public transport as well as bus terminals, train stations and train platforms are equipped with camera surveillance systems. Such surveillance prevents disturbances and vandalism, and the visual recordings are also used to investigate crimes.

Report a crime as soon as possible if you are a victim of a crime while on public transport or at a station or terminal. The police may request visual recordings from the operator of the camera surveillance system after the investigation has begun. The visual recordings are stored for a limited period of time.

Public transport and stations are public places. Filming and photography is allowed, but please remember that you cannot publish all of the material that you record. Publishing an image that violates the privacy or dignity of the person concerned is not permitted. It is polite to ask the permission of the person being photographed or filmed and to explain the purpose of the filming or photography. Also avoid situations where bright flashlights may impair the driver's vision.

Prepare for sudden incidents

Hold onto the bars or safety loops if you have to stand or move around inside the vehicle. Make sure that you are holding onto something when you have a mobile device in your hands.The driver may have to suddenly swerve or break. 

Please note that buses designed for urban traffic do not have seat belts and seat belts are not required on them. This allows passengers to stand during the ride and move about the bus even when the bus is crowded. Journeys on urban buses are significantly shorter than journeys on long-distance coaches. Even though HSL’s buses also run in rural areas such as Tuusula, Sipoo and Siuntio, the buses used on these services are urban transport buses.

Travelling with a pram

If you have a pram or pushchair with you, make sure that it does not fall over. Lock the pram using the brake. Always hold the pram or secure it with the hooks located in the vehicle when travelling by bus. The child does not need to be in the pram or pushchair when you board. During the journey, you can sit with the child. Make sure that the child sits safely on their seat and that the pram or pushchair does not start moving when the vehicle is in motion.  

Learn more about travelling with prams 

Travelling with a wheelchair or a rollator

A wheelchair or rollator can be used on all public transport. On buses, the wheelchair space is opposite the bus's middle doors. Mobility scooters with separate handlebars cannot be transported on buses and trams because they do not fit in the space designated for wheelchairs.

Read more about travelling with a wheelchair or rollator

Roller skates and other wheeled means of transport

For safety reasons, the use of roller skates and other wheeled means of transport is prohibited on all public transport and at metro stations.

Bicycles may be taken onto some forms of public transport: Read more about taking a bicycle onto public transport

If you take a bicycle on a metro or commuter train, make sure that the bicycle does not fall onto other passengers or inhibit smooth movement within the carriage. At stations, a bicycle must always be walked, and the use of escalators is prohibited.

When at a train or metro station, you must not cross the line marked near the platform edge.

At bus and tram stops, you must keep clear of any vehicle arriving at the stop. If possible, move back a few steps. In particular, make sure that children do not go to the edge of the stop or platform. The front of a bus arriving at a stop may swing round within the area of the stop. The rear of a bus departing from a stop may intrude a few dozen centimeters into the stop area. Therefore, it is important to keep a sufficient distance from the edge of the stop and the carriageway. Also watch out for the side mirrors.

In winter conditions, buses may skid when in bus stop areas. Keep a sufficient distance from any bus that is approaching or leaving the stop.

Do not run across the road in front of a bus or tram. In bus terminals, only walk along routes designated for pedestrians. It is prohibited to take shortcuts across traffic lanes.

Getting on and off of public transport and riding escalators are favorable situations for pickpockets. Take care of your belongings. For example, wallets and phones that are in an open bag are easy prey. A thief can also try to observe the pin code of your bank or credit card when you use a ticket vending machine.