The Suomenlinna II, the passenger ferry that links the old fortress island of Suomenlinna with the centre of Helsinki, will be out of service at least for the remainder of the year.
The vessel is currently undergoing repairs at the Hietalahti shipyard after a hole was punctured in its bow when it crashed into a pier at Helsinki's Market Square on Friday.
Tests on the seaworthiness of the ferry could begin on Thursday this week. The captain of the ship admits to having made mistakes before the most recent accident.
The steering mechanism of the Suomenlinna II is to be tested in waters near Helsinki in a sheltered area with no other traffic.
Representatives of the Accident Investigation Board of Finland and probably also the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) are to be present during the tests.
In October the Suomenlinna II collided with the pier in Suomenlinna twice. Human error was seen as the cause in both of the accidents; the captain had not switched from automatic to manual steering before approaching the pier.
The problems of the ferry were discussed on Monday at a meeting of the Helsinki City Board, whose members were briefed on the status of the Suomenlinna II by Lauri Manninen, deputy chairman of the board of Suomenlinnan Liikenne, the company which operates the ferry.
City Board Chairman Jussi Pajunen (Nat. Coalition) said that the main goal is to get public transport of the residents of Suomenlinna to work again. Rakel Hiltunen (SDP) hoped that the ongoing tests would restore the faith of the residents of Suomenlinna in their public transport.
