Govt moves to ease transport rules temporarily

The government on Thursday submitted a proposal to the parliament to bring temporary amendments to legislations concerning the transport sector due to the current emergency conditions resulting from the coronavirus epidemic.

The amendments aim at facilitating business activities and people’s daily lives and ensuring well-functioning transport operations under emergency conditions, said an official press release.

The proposal mainly contains amendments that concern time limits and documents to be submitted.

“The coronavirus epidemic affects citizens and businesses in a number of ways. The initiative for introducing the proposed temporary amendments to the legislation has comes directly from citizens and businesses, organisations and authorities in the transport sector. This legislative proposal brings desired relief to people’s everyday lives and ensures the continuity of transport operations that are essential in the society,” observed Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka.

The rule will help people, particularly the elderly, to renew driving licences without submission of medical certificates.

According to the proposal, persons over 70 years of age could renew their driving licences without having to submit the medical certificate required and submit it to the police later, by 31 October 2020.

The same would also apply to the renewal of driving licences for heavy vehicles of persons over 45 years of age and to the renewal of driving instructors’ licences.

An amendment proposed to the Act on Transport Services would allow the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency to renew a taxi driver’s licence so that the applicant would submit the required medical certificate within six months of the licence renewal.

The obligation of a train driver to present a medical certificate would be postponed, unless a railway doctor has required a more frequent medical examination than is usual.

According to the government proposal, the notification period of providers of passenger transport services would be shortened from 60 days to five days, the validity of maritime certificates of competence such as certificates of competency, certificates of proficiency and pilotage certificates would be extended by six months from their specified date of renewal.

The deadline for submitting the documents required for the renewal of a certificate to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency and for taking the practical test would be 30 April 2021.