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

  • Smoothing out city freight movements
    May 28, 2014
    David Crawford welcomes a national first. Urban freight movements, while commercially and socially vital, are a growing logistical headache for planners and people alike. Figures from France’s Lyon Laboratory of Transport Economics indicate that goods transport in major urban areas accounts for: 20% of traffic; 35% of CO2 emissions made by all urban trips; and 50% of the diesel used; while final km delivery runs account for 20% of the total cost of the transport chain.
  • PTV wins first ITS contract in Russia
    April 25, 2012
    Russian company Tolltec is currently implementing ITS technology to optimise the high traffic volumes on the 115km-long St. Petersburg's ring motorway that stretches around the whole city. As part of this project, PTV software, including the company's TrafficCountManagement and VISSIM, is part of the ITS technology used for St. Petersburg's ring road.
  • Netherlands to begin large-scale testing of autonomous cars
    January 26, 2015
    The Dutch government has given its approval to large-scale testing of autonomous cars on roads in the Netherlands, saying the technology could reduce congestion and smooth traffic flow. The cabinet has agreed to adjust road rules, which will enable the Dutch transport authority, RDW, to grant permission for testing. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Netherlands has become a test-bed for autonomous vehicles, although until now tests have largely been carried out at priv
  • Cellint measures speed and travel time without roadside infrastructure
    April 10, 2014
    Collecting speed and travel time data without using roadside infrastructure could offer new possibilities to cash-strapped road authorities. Streaming video may be useful for traffic controllers to monitor incidents and automatic number plate recognition may be required for enforcement, but neither are necessary for many ITS functions. For instance travel times, tailbacks, percentage of vehicles turning, origin and destination analysis can all be done using Bluetooth and/or WI-Fi sensors and without video o