Skip to main content

Access control aids Helsinki’s traffic flow

Finland’s capital city, Helsinki, has installed an intelligent vehicle access control system in an effort to increase road safety, reduce hazardous emissions and make the city centre more cyclist and pedestrian friendly. Developed by Dutch vehicle detection supplier Nedap, the system provides selective vehicle access control, enabling the city to regulate traffic move movements and reduce the volume of vehicles in the city centre, by allowing only vehicles with a valid permit to enter. The system offers a
February 5, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Finland’s capital city, Helsinki, has installed an intelligent vehicle access control system in an effort to increase road safety,  reduce hazardous emissions and make the city centre more cyclist and pedestrian friendly.

Developed by Dutch vehicle detection supplier 3838 Nedap, the system provides selective vehicle access control, enabling the city to regulate traffic move movements and reduce the volume of vehicles in the city centre, by allowing only vehicles with a valid permit to enter.  The system offers a high level of flexibility in permitting access to vehicles based on need, route, destination and time of day.

Finnish access control systems specialist Visy installed the system on three access roads to the city, using various technologies for identification and communication.  Long range RFID technology is used to identify vehicles, while a vehicle management controller (VMC) connects to barriers, traffic lights and RFID readers and controls their activity. The VMC hardware layout and purpose built embedded software provide an easily-maintained installation.

According to Nedap, access control has proved to be an effective method for reducing unnecessary traffic volume in city centres.  They say Helsinki has seen the results as positive and is currently considering increasing the number of restricted traffic zones in the city.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Kapsch TrafficCom: 'The city is not made for cars'
    October 22, 2018
    Traffic can be a really big challenge. When you’re stuck, you’re stuck. Everything comes to a standstill. But Alexander Lewald describes how existing infrastructures can be used more efficiently and how demand can be managed. A few figures to start with: in Los Angeles, the average driver spends 102 hours a year in traffic – that’s more than four days. This figure is 91 hours in Moscow and New York, 74 in London, 69 in Paris, 51 hours in Munich and still 40 hours in Vienna. Traffic is what causes
  • Iteris sees red over US road deaths
    November 26, 2019
    Drivers who run red lights are killing more than two people per day in the US, says an AAA report. James Esquivel of Iteris sets out some practical ways in which this might be stopped
  • After two decades of research, ITS is getting into its stride
    June 4, 2015
    Colin Sowman gets the global view on how ITS has shaped the way we travel today and what will shape the way we travel tomorrow. Over the past two decades the scope and spread of intelligent transport systems has grown and diversified to encompass all modes of travel while at the same time integrating and consolidating. Two decades ago the idea of detecting cyclists or pedestrians may have been considered impossible and why would you want to do that anyway? Today cyclists can account for a significant propor
  • TfL to trial new bus sensor technology
    August 1, 2014
    Transport for London (TfL) is to trial detection software to enhance bus driver awareness of pedestrians and cyclists. The six-week trial will start later this month as part of a continued drive to improve road safety in the capital. Four buses will be fitted with brand new pedestrian and cyclist detection software which directly alerts bus drivers when pedestrians and cyclists are moving close to their vehicles, helping to reduce collisions. TfL is trialling two systems, CycleEye from Fusion Processi