Skip to main content

Finnish border crossing booking service aims to reduce congestion

Part of the Finnish intelligent transportation strategy, a new booking service for Russia-bound traffic at the Vaalimaa border crossing point in Finland aims to evaluate ways of reducing future peak-hour traffic, with the objective of streamlining traffic flow and increasing road safety by smoothing traffic volumes. The service becomes available for freight traffic on 15 December and for passenger traffic on 19 January 2015. The service is free of charge for users and is mandatory for all drivers using t
December 4, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Part of the Finnish intelligent transportation strategy, a new booking service for Russia-bound traffic at the Vaalimaa border crossing point in Finland aims to evaluate ways of reducing future peak-hour traffic, with the objective of streamlining traffic flow and increasing road safety by smoothing traffic volumes.

The service becomes available for freight traffic on 15 December and for passenger traffic on 19 January 2015. The service is free of charge for users and is mandatory for all drivers using the Vaalimaa border crossing point only and travelling from Finland to Russia.

Drivers can book in advance online, at self-service kiosks or via a 24/7 call centre, or they can join the live queue at the self-service terminal at Vaalimaa. Cameras will identify the licence plate of vehicles booked in advance.

The project was developed by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY) and the Finnish Transport Agency, and is hosted by GoSwift.  It also involves the Customs, Finnish and Russian Border Guards and the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

According to project manager Jyrki Järvinen of the ELY for south-east Finland, “the electronic booking system is a less expensive way to ease traffic congestion than construction of new roads and lanes.”

Related Content

  • Amey secures Transport Scotland ITS deal
    January 3, 2022
    Amey will operate and maintain VMS, CCTV and various power and communication cabinets
  • Automating enforcement of environmental zones
    July 27, 2012
    Amsterdam City Council has chosen to move away from manual enforcement of its environmental zone, which is intended to keep highly polluting goods vehicles out of the city centre, and is installing an automated, ANPR-based system. The signs are not much to look at: white with a red circle and the all-important word Milieuzone ('Environmental zone'). But these signs mean that Amsterdam's city centre is strictly off-limits to polluting goods traffic. At the moment compliance is monitored by special wardens wh
  • Vitronic tests sensor tech in Hamburg
    May 24, 2021
    Vitronic aims to improve VRU safety using V2X on German city's real-world 'test' track
  • Advancing traffic management for smart cities
    September 3, 2024
    Promises of increased safety, less pollution, increased productivity and a better quality of life in smart cities are just too good to be ignored. Dany Longval of Teledyne Flir talks through some of the challenges