Finland Times

 

EU Commission Vice-President, responsible for transport, Siim Kallas (R) listens while Finland's Minister of Transport and Local Government Henna Virkkunen speaks during the press conference of ITS Europe 2014 Congress in Helsinki on Tuesday. Photo – Lehtikuva.

Traffic Lab, a trial project of electronic transport services coordinated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, has been opened for companies. 

 

The aim of the project is to promote a market for ‘intelligent transport services’ in cooperation between authorities, companies and research facilities, according to a press release of the Ministry of Transport and Communications issued on Tuesday.. 

 

The companies participating in the project that lasts until the end of 2015 are expected to launch their first services from early autumn, said the release

 

The Finnish Transport Agency and the Finnish Transport Safety Agency are preparing to buy traffic information services from companies for about a million euros each during 2014 -2015. 

 

Data collection for the Finnish Transport Agency and the Finnish Transport Safety Agency is based on the approval of the service users.

 

"I am particularly pleased with the new direction in mobility and transport services that we agreed on at the meeting. In future we will develop the transport system in closer cooperation with the users and between the public and private sectors", said Minister of Transport Henna Virkkunena at a Ministerial Round Table held in connection with the ITS Europe 2014 Congress in Helsinki

 

The minister believes that there will also be more information available for the users to support their mobility and travel planning.

 

Traffic Lab is a trial of intelligent transport services that make it easier to travel and make intelligent choices in traffic. The services could include, for example, traffic information, driver's log or information on public transportation services, said the release.

 

Authorities will sign contracts with all companies or other actors that can produce traffic information services required by the authorities. Partners can be Finnish or foreign individual companies or groups of companies.   

 

A long-term aim in transport policy is a paradigm shift that would turn mobility into a service, the ministry said.