Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications initiates preparations to reform the transport network development and financing
The Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications say it has initiated preparations to reform the transport network development and financing. The aim is an economically sustainable operational framework that provides for a long-term maintenance and development of the transport network.
The project will examine whether network maintenance and development could be the responsibility of a state-owned company. The aim of the preparation project is that the company could start operations in the beginning of 2018.
A state transport network company would mainly finance its operations with customer charges based on the use of the transport network. They would replace a part of the current transport taxes and fees.
Transport network management within a company calls for legislation to ensure the interests of the customer and society. The duties of the Finnish Transport Agency in transport infrastructure management, development and maintenance are meant to be transferred to the new state-owned company.
If infrastructure management was the responsibility of a state-owned company, it would improve the use of state infrastructure assets and ensure extensive development investments and better transport services for people. It would also improve the capacity of the economy.
"The reform aims at sustainability and new opportunities in the financing of transport network invest-ments. It would be in the customers' interests that they would pay only for the services they use," says Ms Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications, about the goals of the project.
A reform of transport financing and taxation could also promote the modernisation of the vehicle stock. Provisions on the customer charges would be laid down in an act, and the information security and data protection of the system would be at a high level.
