Court overturns five HSL inspection fines in three years

A review by Yle shows that out of 50 appeals over HSL inspection fines since early 2021, only five have been overturned by the Helsinki Administrative Court.

Filing an appeal costs €310, while the fine itself is €100. Most disputes arise when passengers buy tickets in a hurry via the HSL app, as the ticket must be valid before boarding. Unlike contactless payments, app users cannot purchase tickets onboard trains, trams, or buses.

Ten cases were dismissed, with court documents showing that in most instances, the court sided with HSL’s interpretation of the disputed situations.

The number of court challenges remains small compared to the 84,500 inspection fines HSL issued last year alone. The high cost of appealing—€310 for a €100 fine—likely deters many from pursuing legal action.

In the five overturned cases:

A woman leimasi her travel card 32 seconds after the train doors closed and presented it to inspectors. HSL argued the card was not validated in time, but the court ruled in her favor, accepting her explanation that she had first secured her belongings and waited for other passengers to clear the reader.

A 16-year-old with an injured foot was unable to buy a ticket in time after running to catch the train and searching for their travel card. The court deemed the fine unreasonable.

A man habitually bought a BC-zone ticket for his usual Vantaa trips but mistakenly did so when traveling to Helsinki’s AB zone. The court accepted his explanation, noting the tickets cost the same.

A passenger with an AB-zone ticket was fined in the C zone after claiming he had asked an inspector for advice at the departure station. HSL doubted its own staff would give incorrect zone guidance, but the court found the passenger’s reliance on the advice reasonable.

A tram passenger’s mobile ticket was recorded as activating 15 seconds after the inspection began. The court overturned the fine after finding inconsistencies in the inspector’s notes and relying solely on the ticket’s purchase receipt, which only showed the time to the nearest minute.