Helsinki City Transport plans major increase in its complement of ticket inspectors

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Helsinki City Transport (HKL) plans to hire no fewer than 27 new ticket inspectors in the next three years. At the turn of the year, 16 new inspectors will start work, followed by six more inspectors in 2008 and another five in 2009.
      The number of ticket inspector posts at HKL stands currently at 55, but, as HKL managing director Matti Lahdenranta points out, because of unfilled posts and job rotation leaves the actual number of inspectors at any one time is between 35 and 40.
      In three years' time the number of inspectors should be close to 70, in other words, nearly double the present figure.
     
The training of new ticket inspectors will commence at the beginning of 2007.
      Currently, 15 new inspectors are being trained to replace those who have retired or changed jobs.
      The larger numbers of "Smurfs" - as they are described by those who prefer to ride the city's Metro trains, buses and trams for free - are seen as a response to increased abuse of the system. HKL is looking to find an optimum level of inspection: naturally a massive ticket inspector presence would deter ticketless riding, but it would also make only limited economic sense.
      Travelling without a valid ticket on the HKL network makes the offender liable to a EUR 66.00 penalty fare. There have been suggestions that this may be increased in the not-too-distant future.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Number of ticketless riders growing in Helsinki public transport (30.1.2006)
  Public transport in Greater Helsinki Area to invest heavily in future (8.6.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat