Helsinki City Transport (HKL) has put forward a plan for sharp increases in the price of tickets as of the beginning of next year.
If city officials approve the move, the average increase for fares on buses, trams, and the Helsinki Metro would be about seven percent.
With some ticket types, the increase would be about 20 percent.
The move would increase revenue from ticket sales by an estimated EUR 4.9 million a year.
HKL estimates that the price hikes would lead to a decline in passenger numbers from 190 million this year to about 186 million.
The price rise would be greatest, about 20%, for single-ride tickets bought directly from the driver. The increase for travel card passes is from five to seven percent.
One of the aims of the new price structure would be to encourage passengers to buy their tickets in advance, rather than from the driver. Therefore, the price of single tickets bought at a vending machine before the trip would increase by only about ten percent.
Significant price cuts are planned for student tickets.
Next year, students are to pay one third less for commuting on HKL than they do now.
The need for price hikes results from increased personnel and fuel costs.
