Public transport will not halt during drone alerts without explicit authority order

Finland’s Helsinki region public transport authority HSL says it will not suspend services during a drone threat warning unless authorities specifically order it to do so, Yle reports. The position follows a drone alert last Friday in the Uusimaa region that raised questions about how such threats should affect public transport.

The Ministry of the Interior’s rescue authority updated its public guidance on drone threats on Monday, adding instructions that include the advice: “If you are in a vehicle, leave the vehicle and go indoors.” The wording could be interpreted as requiring all passengers in transit to stop their journeys if followed literally.

HSL’s security and preparedness manager Erica Sauvala told Yle that the authority’s own interpretation is clear. “Our interpretation is that public transport is not suspended unless an authority specifically orders it,” she said. HSL believes the updated guidance is intended to apply to private vehicles, not public transport.

The interpretation is still being finalised in coordination with traffic management company Fintraffic, the state railway operator VR, and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area City Transport company.

Sauvala said HSL’s decision to continue operating during last Friday’s drone alert was based on the same principle: no authority had ordered services to stop. “Public transport is a critical service in our region,” she said.

She added that some changes to procedures are likely to follow, though she did not specify what form these might take.

During Friday’s incident, residents of Uusimaa were warned early in the morning of a possible drone threat and advised to remain indoors. Authorities declared the danger over shortly after 7am. Around 100 scheduled departures were missed that morning, largely because some drivers from various operators did not report for work due to the alert.

The Ministry of the Interior’s updated drone threat guidance emphasises that it is important to follow instructions given by the authorities.