Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council
Encyclopedia
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council was a co-operation agency operating in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
, now replaced by HSL and HSY. The organisation had a few responsibilities, most notably regional public transport
and waste management
. It was subordinated to the city council
s of the four participating cities (Helsinki
, Vantaa
, Espoo
and Kauniainen
). Furthermore, transport cooperation also included neighboring municipalities of Kerava
and Kirkkonummi
.
155.6 million in 2002 and its income was €160.3 million. Traffic and waste management make up 97 % of its expenditure. About 70 % of the income consisted of customer fees for public transport and waste management.
, operator of the metro, Suomenlinna
ferry service and bus services within the Helsinki
region, and published a timetable of all public transport quarterly, and provided a public transport route planner
service on the Internet. It also ran ticketing and prices, fixing prices at the same level for all public transportation, irrespective of method or transportation company. These services are now (since January 1, 2010) provided by Helsingin seudun liikenne.
Most tickets are bought using the electronic travel cards, a smart card
service run by Buscom. These travel cards support two types of payment for trips:
If the same travel card is loaded with both value and period, period takes priority when applicable to the current zone. If the period runs out, or the passenger travels to a zone where the period is not applicable, value is used instead.
The travel cards can be bought through certain shops and Public Transport Information Centres.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council currently manages the following zones:
Greater Helsinki
Greater Helsinki and the smaller Helsinki Metropolitan Area or Capital Region refer to two regions of different size surrounding Helsinki, the capital of Finland...
, now replaced by HSL and HSY. The organisation had a few responsibilities, most notably regional public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
and waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
. It was subordinated to the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
s of the four participating cities (Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Vantaa
Vantaa
Vantaa is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.Vantaa, with its population of , is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located there...
, Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
and Kauniainen
Kauniainen
Kauniainen is a small town and a municipality of inhabitants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. It is surrounded by the city of Espoo, in Greater Helsinki...
). Furthermore, transport cooperation also included neighboring municipalities of Kerava
Kerava
Kerava is a town and municipality in Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Uusimaa region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
and Kirkkonummi
Kirkkonummi
Kirkkonummi is a municipality of inhabitants in southern Finland. The literal meaning of the words "Kirkkonummi" and "Kyrkslätt" in English is "church moor"....
.
Economy
The Metropolitan Council used €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
155.6 million in 2002 and its income was €160.3 million. Traffic and waste management make up 97 % of its expenditure. About 70 % of the income consisted of customer fees for public transport and waste management.
Transportation management
The Metropolitan Council grouped together different Public Transportation companies operating in the Metropolitan area, such as HKLHelsinki City Transport
Helsinki City Transport or HKL is the official city-owned public transport company in Helsinki, Finland. It operates the Helsinki metro, Helsinki tram and ferry boat traffic...
, operator of the metro, Suomenlinna
Suomenlinna
Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori , or Sveaborg , is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands , and which now forms part of the city of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular with both tourists and locals, who...
ferry service and bus services within the Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
region, and published a timetable of all public transport quarterly, and provided a public transport route planner
Public transport route planner
A public transport route planner is a type of journey planner designed to provide information about available public transport journeys, nowadays often made available as a Web application...
service on the Internet. It also ran ticketing and prices, fixing prices at the same level for all public transportation, irrespective of method or transportation company. These services are now (since January 1, 2010) provided by Helsingin seudun liikenne.
Most tickets are bought using the electronic travel cards, a smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
service run by Buscom. These travel cards support two types of payment for trips:
| English | Finnish | Swedish | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | arvo | värde | A specific amount of money can be spent, within an unlimited time period. There are no inherent zone restrictions as each zone can charge for its trips individually. |
| Period | aika | period | An unlimited number of trips can be made, within a specific limited time period. The time periods are specific to each zone separately. |
If the same travel card is loaded with both value and period, period takes priority when applicable to the current zone. If the period runs out, or the passenger travels to a zone where the period is not applicable, value is used instead.
The travel cards can be bought through certain shops and Public Transport Information Centres.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council currently manages the following zones:
- Helsinki
- Espoo and Kauniainen
- Vantaa
- Regional traffic 1: Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa
- Regional traffic 2: Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Kerava and Kirkkonummi (excluding Helsinki)
- Entire region: Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Kerava and Kirkkonummi