Govt plans new company for traffic control

The government on Thursday proposed that the traffic control and management services currently offered by the Finnish Transport Agency be incorporated into a limited liability company and the functions be transferred to a new state-owned company with a special assignment.

The government has submitted a legislative proposal in this regard to parliament, said an official press release.

The proposed act is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2019.

The new special-assignment company is to ensure safety and smooth flow of maritime, railway and road traffic and to provide services related to traffic control.

The aim of the new company is to promote utilisation of traffic control data in support of the development of new digital services. It also aims to promote new business, improve digital business environment for traffic and boost Finnish transport market growth.

According to the press release, the corporatisation will enhance the economic efficiency and effectiveness of the traffic control functions and increase transparency of pricing and the operations. A further aim is to provide better conditions for customer-oriented operations and ensure improved services tailored to meet customer needs. The reform will also clarify the contents of the official duties in the transport and communications sectors.

The traffic control company will be especially assigned to provide vessel traffic services and railway and road traffic control services to safety authorities to the extent necessary for the authorities to carry out their statutory duties.

The Finnish Transport Agency personnel who would be working in traffic control and management on 31 December 2018 and their tasks will be transferred to the new company.

This will take place on 1 January 2019 and it will be carried out in accordance with transfer-of-business principles and the personnel will be employed under a contractual employment relationship.

The government’s Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy on 13 June 2017 supported the proposal to corporatize the traffic control functions of the Finnish Transport Agency.