HSL to trial distance-based transit fares in autumn pilot

Helsinki’s regional public transport authority HSL is set to test a new fare model this autumn in which ticket prices are calculated based on the distance travelled rather than the zone crossed, according to a report by Yle.

Between 5,000 and 7,000 passengers will take part in the pilot, using a specially developed mobile app. Instead of buying a ticket in advance, users mark the start and end of their journey, and the app charges a fare based on the straight-line distance travelled in kilometres.

HSL is seeking an alternative to its current zone-based pricing system. Under the existing model, passengers must hold a ticket covering at least two zones even when travelling a short distance within a single zone. The same journey can also cost different amounts depending on how many zone boundaries the route crosses.

Rauno Särkkäaho, head of unit at HSL, said that numerous alternative zone models have been studied throughout the authority’s history without finding a better option than the current one. The pilot is therefore testing something fundamentally different.

HSL wants to understand how distance-based pricing would affect customer experience, demand for public transport, and fare revenues, Särkkäaho said. The pilot will be run with minimal infrastructure changes, with no new card reader devices being installed.

Särkkäaho has not yet revealed at what distance the new fare would become cheaper than the current two-zone single ticket, which costs 3.30 euros when purchased through the HSL app, or how much longer journeys might cost. Prices may also change during the course of the trial.

HSL currently divides its service area into four zones labelled A through D, radiating outward from central Helsinki. A fifth zone, E, covering Järvenpää and the northern parts of Tuusula, will be introduced in June. HSL’s member municipalities include Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Siuntio, Kirkkonummi, Sipoo, Kerava and Tuusula. Last year, the network carried more than 380 million passenger journeys, with fare revenues of nearly 390 million euros covering just over 40 percent of operating costs.