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Public transport: HSL hopes people will stop buying single tickets
🇫🇮 Finland /Energy & Infrastructure

Public transport: HSL hopes people will stop buying single tickets

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • HSL says it wants passengers to use its app or travel cards instead of single tickets, which attract extra charges at several sales locations.
  • A single adult AB-zone ticket costs 3.30 euros through the app or a travel card, while contactless payment costs 20 cents more and an R-kioski adds a 90-cent fee.
  • HSL has reduced physical ticket sales and closed most service points, drawing criticism from passengers who cannot or do not want to use smartphones.

Helsinki's transit authority HSL openly hopes passengers will not buy single tickets. It adds fees at several sales points to steer people toward its app or a travel card.

"We primarily want to guide people to buy the ticket through the app or use a travel card," said Mari Flink, director of HSL's customer area. The issue gained attention after Helsingin Sanomat asked HSL board chair Mirita Saxberg to demonstrate how to buy a single ticket in central Helsinki without a smartphone or an extra charge. The process surprised her.

We primarily want to guide people to buy the ticket through the app or use a travel card.

— Mari FlinkThe HSL customer-area director explained the authority's preference for digital and card-based ticketing.

Extra fees apply at HSL's own service point and at outside sellers such as R-kioski. HSL cannot determine the prices charged by external outlets because, Flink said, the law requires partners to have pricing freedom. HSL's board decided in 2019 to apply the same principle across digital and travel-card sales channels.

An adult AB-zone ticket costs 3.30 euros when bought through the app or with a travel card. Contactless payment costs 20 cents more, while R-kioski charges an additional 90 cents. Flink said the contactless price is higher because the option is primarily intended for tourists rather than local residents.

According to the law, partners must have freedom in pricing.

— Mari FlinkFlink explained why external retailers can set their own surcharges.

About 80% of HSL tickets now sell through the app. Most other passengers use a travel card or contactless payment. HSL has closed its ticket machines and reduced its service points from three in Helsinki to one, at Pasila. The location has faced criticism because some tourists struggle to find it, although HSL says rail connections made Pasila the practical choice.

Children cannot currently use contactless payment to buy a child ticket. HSL has recognized the need to develop that option but has not made a decision. For a child traveling alone without a smartphone, Flink recommends a travel card linked to the child's customer account, which automatically charges the lower fare.

The need for development has been recognized.

— Mari FlinkShe discussed the lack of a child contactless-ticket option.
About this summary

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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