Helsinki’s annual costs may rise by two million euros, while Espoo’s share could drop by three million euros.
Half of the municipalities served by the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) will be paying more fees to the authority than they had planned. At the same time, some municipalities will be paying a lot less.
The reason is due to HSL miscalculating the municipalities’ respective shares of train service costs.
The plan was to distribute costs to municipalities according to passenger volumes, the number of trips and route lengths.
However, those costs were not correctly planned out in this year’s budget, which was approved last November, the transportation authority’s administrative chief, Jussi Saarinen, told Yle by email.
The transport authority’s leadership has suggested changing the payment amounts, but the final decision will be made by an assembly of representatives from the affected municipalities and cities. They are expected to meet and vote about the matter at the end of May.
If the assembly approves the board’s proposal, Helsinki’s share of annual HSL costs would rise by two million euros to just under 560 million euros — accounting for nearly 57 percent of HSL’s budget.
The City of Vantaa’s share of HSL fees ticked up to 12 percent, to just over 67 million euros, an increase of about two million euros.
The municipality of Kerava, will end up paying 260,000 euros more than anticipated, while Sipoo will end up paying nine thousand euros more.
Despite the change in shares various municipalities are paying, HSL’s budget for the year remained unchanged. This means that around half of the municipalities involved will end up paying less.
They include the city of Espoo, which will see its fee drop by more than three million euros, making its share around 27 percent of the HSL budget, paying nearly 148 million euros.
Kirkkonummi, Kauniainen and Siuntio — paying a roughly one percent share — saw their fees drop significantly.
Kirkkonummi’s share will drop by nearly one million euros, paying seven million euros. Kauniainen’s fee is shrinking by 300,000 euros to just under two million euros. Siuntio share is dropping by around 75,000 euros to a little more than 1.2 million euros.
According to Saarinen, HSL changing the fee structure during a fiscal year is unusual.
