Government improves operating conditions for the transport sector

On 7 May 2026, the Government submitted for approval amendments to the Act on Transport Services, the Driving Licence Act, the Act on the Organisation of Driver Examinations and the Act on the Enforcement of a Fine. The amendments aim to improve the operating conditions for the transport sector. Most of the acts and the amended decree will enter into force on 15 May 2026.

“The legislative package includes targeted measures to improve the operating conditions for road transport. We are clarifying the rules of the transport industry to ensure that they are easier to comply with and to monitor. At the same time, we are promoting vitality across Finland, as the majority of volumes are transported by road, now and in future” says Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne.

The amendments will specify the provisions on road cabotage in the Act on Transport Services to facilitate the calculation of cabotage operations permitted in goods transport. A maximum duration of seven days will be set for cabotage operations in bus and coach transport services. Cabotage operations mean the right of a haulier established in one EEA state to carry out domestic transport operations in another EEA state. Cabotage operations must always be carried out on a temporary basis and they must be related to international transport.

In future, infringement of cabotage rules can result in an administrative sanction of EUR 6,000. An administrative sanction of EUR 3,000 may be imposed for the lack of a driver attestation demonstrating that the terms of employment of a third-country driver are met.

The provisions in the Driving Licence Act on licence categories will be amended concerning  the operation of heavier vehicles powered by alternative fuels. The amendments will take place in two stages. In the first stage, a national exemption will be added to the Driving Licence Act. With this amendment, a current category B driving licence will entitle the holder to drive a vehicle weighing up to 4,250 kg, provided that the vehicle runs on alternative fuel and the category B driving licence has been held for at least two years. The temporary exemption is applicable to domestic operations, excluding Åland, when carried out under a goods transport licence issued by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. The temporary provision will be in force until 25 November 2027.

In the second stage, Finland will implement the exemptions included in the new EU Driving Licence Directive for operating alternatively-fuelled vehicles in the B and BE licence categories. With the exemptions, a category B licence holder is allowed to drive an alternatively-fuelled vehicle weighing up to 4,250 kg and a category BE licence holder a combination of vehicles driven by such a vehicle. The driving licence must have been issued at least two years earlier. The exemptions will apply across the EU as of 26 November 2027. Both private persons and professional transport operators will be allowed to drive and the purpose of use is not limited.

At the same time, electric and gas-powered goods vehicles weighing up to 4,250 kg will be exempted from following the driving times and rest periods when they are within 100 kilometres from the location of the business. Requirements for driver examiners will also be amended to improve the availability of labour and driver examinations in the coming years.

What’s next?

The President of the Republic is expected to approve the bills on 8 May 2026. The acts and the amended decree will enter into force on 15 May 2026. However, the amendments to the Driving Licence Act will, as a rule, enter into force on 26 November 2027.

Inquiries:

Veli-Matti Syrjänen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 124, [email protected]

Saara Louko, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 048, [email protected]