HSL to trial fixed-price Uber rides as part of public transport in Helsinki and Vantaa

HSL and Uber will launch a pilot scheme on Friday allowing passengers to book €5 rides between selected residential areas and major public transport hubs in Helsinki and Vantaa, the Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

The trial, running for approximately three months, will operate in Helsinki’s Postipuisto and Itä-Pakila districts and Vantaa’s Ylästö area. Rides can be booked weekdays from 10:00 to 01:00 and weekends from 06:00 to 04:00.

Eligible routes include connections between Postipuisto and Ilmala, Käpylä, or Huopalahti stations; Ylästö and Martinlaakso, Vantaankoski, or Aviapolis stations, or the Hagelstamintie trunk line stop in Kartanonkoski (line 600); and Itä-Pakila and Oulunkylä, Pukinmäki stations, or the Teininpuisto express bus stop (line 15).

The €5 fare applies to trips with a normal cost of up to €25. If the actual fare exceeds €25, the passenger pays the €5 fee plus the difference. A separate valid HSL ticket is required for the public transport portion of the journey.

Uber rides will appear as route suggestions in the web-based Journey Planner, where users can obtain a single-use code to book the trip. Availability depends on driver supply, and passengers must be at least 18 years old to use the service. Those under 18 may travel only when accompanied by an adult.

According to HSL’s acting CEO Vesa Silfver, the partnership with a private operator offers new options for sustainable mobility and valuable insights for future planning. The trial is part of the EU-funded GEMINI project, with Forum Virium Helsinki and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences as Finnish partners.