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Helsinki region transport into the eye of the storm: Accusations of illegal activity and the ombudsman – Is the action proper?

a Couple of years ago the Helsinki market barge of Whim-from the mobile application can buy a Helsinki region transport, HSL, Taxi Helsinki, near the cab as wel

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Helsinki region transport into the eye of the storm: Accusations of illegal activity and the ombudsman – Is the action proper?

a Couple of years ago the Helsinki market barge of Whim-from the mobile application can buy a Helsinki region transport, HSL, Taxi Helsinki, near the cab as well as Veho and Sixt-car rental services. Also service the cost of the treatment in the same application.

whim's main partners are therefore HSL, a few rental car companies and several taxi companies.

the HSL and movement options offered to the whim of between is, however, ignited the fight for the provision of services.

Whim-mobile application running in the company MaaS Global's managing director of Sampo Hietanen according to, for example, taxis have been since the beginning of the excited to develop the service further, but the problem is, instead, born of the publicly owned HSL with.

MaaS Global's ceo Sampo Hietanen, according to the company is made to the Competition and consumer agency investigation request to HSL's activities. Antti Kolppo / Yle"HSL is intentionally made it difficult to provide services"

Whim-a mobile application for running the company's ceo Sampo Hietanen, according to the HSL has intentionally hampered the whim of service providers. Hietanen, according to the company is made to the Competition and consumer agency investigation request to HSL's activities. The matter is introduced at the beginning of November also the ombudsman.

– we Want to find out whether HSL's action was proper and lawful, Hietanen said.

Hietanen remind, that the previous minister of transport and communications Anne berner's (centre) presented by the new transport service, the law requires companies to open their systems interface making to each other. The aim is that the different companies ' information systems would work together in such a way that, for example, Whim can purchase HSL tickets or a taxi ride.

When berner's drive to reform came into force in 2018, most of the public transport company of the interfaces were completely undeveloped. For example, the Whim of billing users monthly fee, which had the opportunity to run unlimited Helsinki public transport. Whim of the user, however, had to be purchased every trip for a single ticket.

any intentional action difficult is not the issue.

HSL director of the department of Ilmari Mäkinen

Hietanen, the situation has improved, but, in his opinion, it is still relatively poor in relation to the law requirements.

If the whim of the user wants to order a taxi, Whim can be contacted directly with the taxi company of the subscription system. HSL's ticket system any Whim however, but the order to rotate the HSL for your application.

Hietanen said that the service to the user of the fixture is tricky. For example, the monthly ticket purchase the user must first pay the whim of the service and after that go to the HSL site and the task still strong identify the side of a cliff, for example, with bank.

– Interfaces are not genuinely open.

mobile app could replace your own car

MaaS Global is one of the first service providers among them sought the fact that the mobile application, the user could replace your own car, the monthly payment of service. The company has developed a Whim-application, which allows to use public transport, taxis and rental cars. Kalle, at the use of the application to pay 500 euros a month, when all the application modes can be used unlimited.

Whim-the app can so far use the Helsinki region, alongside the Uk and Belgium. Antti Kolppo / Yle

Whim-the app can so far use the Helsinki region, alongside the Uk and Belgium. The helsinki region service seems to be of interest to customers: the monthly fee paid by the number of users varies Hietanen according to the 5 000 and 10 000 between.

Soon the app will also be introduced in Vienna, and further plans include, for example, Singapore and Tokyo. The economy magazine Forbes has called the whim of the ”movement team has”.

HSL denies accusations of illegal activity

at the beginning of July the Transport and communications agency ordered the VR, HSL and travel service to change their systems to the new law according to. Mobile maintenance promised to fix the issue I notice is received.

the VR has already renewed the ticket market, as a result, the tickets can already buy a Whim-via the app.

the HSL section, the situation is still the fact that the ticket gets a Whim-via the app, but the client will have to deal also with the HSL website.

the Helsinki region transport denies the whim of the claims operation deliberate difficult. HSL's head of the department Ilmari Mäkinen according to HSL's activity is a new transport service under the law.

– any intentional action difficult is not the issue.

the Hilly according to the dispute due to the fact that HSL considers itself a public action, which can not open the border pint of the ditch to a single company.

There passing confidential information, which information security can not be compromised. Also the EU data protection legislation obliges us, Mäkinen said.

Mäkinen: the Controversy due to new rules and interpretation of the law.

the Hilly remind you that HSL has nine municipalities formed the joint municipal authority. HSL's transport costs only half is covered by ticket sales. The rest of the public transport costs paid by taxpayers.

– public transport organisation is a public authority activity, not market activity, Mäkinen said.

according to Him, it is good that the authority of the Competition and consumer agency in solving the case.

MaaS Global Hietanen marveled at the Hilly views.

– Transport - and communication agencies have stated that strong authentication can be even HSL's case, the only option, Hietanen said.

HSL's director of the department of Ilmari Mäkinen, it is just new regulations and a new interpretation of the law.

Foreign companies interested in the Finnish market

the Hilly said that HSL is negotiating similar services bringing also with other companies. Among the Finnish and international players, which should all be treated equally.

MaaS Global's ceo Sampo Hietanen anticipate that the dispute-government deliberations can take a long time, and during that time, foreign actors are taking over the market. For example, in the Netherlands, the sector has become quickly a number of companies.

Last year, the whim of running the MaaS Global's net sales were eur 4.7 million, but operating losses accumulated to over 12 million. The action revolves around the now investors money. Hietanen, according to the company waiting to be profitable in the years 2021-2022.

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