Helsinki and state leaders more amenable to congestion charges

Espoo and Vantaa mayors remain opposed

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Congestion charges for cars in the Helsinki region have started to receive support from unexpected quarters in the City of Helsinki and the government.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) said in a television interview on Thursday that he takes a favourable view of work being done at the Ministry of Transport and Communications on the introduction of congestion charges.
      In Vanhanen’s view, revenue from the charges could be used for the financing of public projects.
     
Even Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen (Nat. Coalition Party), who has long opposed the idea, appears to be softening his stance.
      “If we start to look for various kilometre-based ways of controlling traffic, then my attitude is not negative from the outset. On the contrary, it is a good idea to look for models through new technology”, Pajunen said on Thursday to Helsingin Sanomat.
      Helsinki’s city planning board recently said that it favours a kilometre-based system.
     
Pajunen remains staunchly opposed to the idea that revenue from the congestion charges would be channelled outside the Helsinki region.
      He is still against the systems in place in Stockholm and London, where the charge applies to cars which pass a certain location.
      Pajunen feels that this would cause economic stagnation on Helsinki’s main peninsula, and would turn the urban structure outside the road toll area into that of a “satellite city”.
     
Espoo Mayor Marketta Kokkonen (Nat. Coalition Party) continues to oppose congestion charges, even though the city does not have an official stand on the matter.
      She feels that resources should be focused on developing public transport.
      Espoo City Board Chairwoman Saija Äikäs-Idänpään-Heikkilä (Nat. Coalition Party) sees it as a chicken-and-egg question.
      “First we need to improve the availability of public transport. If it doesn’t help, we can think about restrictions.”
     
Vantaa Mayor Juhani Paajanen (SDP) notes that congestion in the Helsinki region could be eliminated at almost the same price that would have to be paid for developing a congestion charge system.
      “For instance, congestion on the Kehä III outer ring road is largely caused by traffic going from the Nordic Countries to Russia, and traffic to the Vuosaari harbour”, Pajunen says.
      “This will not be solved through congestion charges. Investments of a few hundred million euros are needed.”
      Paajanen feels that the state has primarily supported holiday traffic at the expense of thoroughfares that would be important for the national economy.
      “Now the City of Vantaa has to pay for such an international highway, and the money on the national level could end up going elsewhere."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mayor Pajunen opposes Helsinki congestion charge (19.3.2009)
  No shortage of opinions about congestion charges (18.3.2008)
  Helsinki to study introduction of congestion charge (25.1.2008)

See also:
  Report: Congestion charges would improve appeal of downtown Helsinki (18.6.2009)
  Congestion charging could bring the state more than EUR 100 million every year (5.6.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat