Tampere leaders split over proposed congestion charges

Political groups in Tampere are divided over a proposal to charge drivers for using busy roads, Yle reports. A local motorist quoted in the headline says there are no traffic jams in Tampere and none will come.

Officials at Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications have proposed regional congestion charges for large urban areas, including Tampere. They say the charges could help replace transport tax revenue expected to fall as more vehicles become electric. The ministry says decisions on how to use the revenue would be made jointly with the urban regions.

Tampere Deputy Mayor Ilkka Porttikivi, who is responsible for transport, said there had not been enough discussion. “At the moment, I would say no to congestion charges,” he said. He called the ministry’s proposal interesting, however, and said he hoped any revenue would stay in the region so local authorities could decide how to spend it.

Four of Tampere’s council groups oppose the charges, two support them, and the largest group, the Social Democrats, has not yet formed a position. The Greens and the Left Alliance support considering charges. They say fees could reduce emissions, encourage public transport and limit the need for costly road capacity projects.

The National Coalition Party and Swedish People’s Party group, the Finns Party, the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats oppose the proposal. They argue that residents must be able to travel around the Tampere urban region by all modes, and warn that higher travel costs could burden families, increase inequality and hinder businesses.

Traffic in Tampere is forecast to grow by one-fifth by 2040. Porttikivi also hopes the state will continue funding transport projects, including extensions to the tram network.