Uber to return to Finland in summer

The ridesharing and transport service provider Uber will resume operation in Finland in the upcoming summer, Finnish media reported on Tuesday.

Uber Finland, the local branch of the company, suspended its operation in Finland in summer 2017, as the company decided to await new legislation that would release the strictly regulated taxi businesses.

The new Traffic Services Act, which allows ridesharing businesses in Finland, will come into force in July 2018. This means that players such as Uber will be able to start offering their services lawfully, said a Finnish language daily Helsingin Sanomat.

Joel Jarvinen, the country manager of Uber in Finland, told the daily that Uber's operation will be similar to the past, and it does not intend to limit who is eligible to drive.

"Anyone who fulfills the conditions can start to drive. We do not set minimum hours or constraints on driving volumes," Jarvinen was quoted as saying.

However, taxi drivers will be required to take a driving test in the future. Details of the licensing process still remain unclear, but are due to be announced by the end of this month, according to the daily.

Uber began its operations in Finland in November 2014. During the two and a half years of its operation, the company had been plagued with confrontations with the Finnish taxi cab legislation.

The company was the target of police investigations. In April 2016, two drivers were ordered to turn in their earnings to the state due to not having valid taxi permits.

In June 2017, the Helsinki district court ordered 250,000 euros of the personal assets of the country director to be confiscated. An appeal court overturned the ruling in December 2017. However, a criminal investigation into possible violations by Uber is still ongoing.