Preparations for the national transport system plan progress – parliamentary steering group and cooperation group start their work

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has appointed a parliamentary steering group and a cooperation group to prepare Finland's first national transport system plan. The plan will apply to all transport modes and provide the basis for Finland's transport network and services. It will be drawn up for 2021-2032.

The task of the parliamentary working group is to determine the objectives for the first national transport system plan and to steer the preparation of the related action plan. All the groups in Parliament have been invited to send a representative to the working group. It will be led by Minister of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin. 

"In transport policy, the national 12-year transport system plan is the single most important measure of this government term. It will provide a long-term perspective and consistency to the planning process," says Minister Marin.

The vice-chair of the group will be Suna Kymäläinen, Member of Parliament and chair of Parliament's Transport and Communications Committee. The group members will include specialists from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Finance, Transport and Communications Agency, TrafiCom, and Transport Infrastructure Agency. 

A cooperation group was also set up to coordinate the interaction in the preparations and to take part in drafting the plan.  The group will be chaired by Sabina Lindström, Director-General at the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Key ministries, agencies and regions, the largest urban areas and other municipalities will be represented in the group. 

The aim is to complete the transport system plan in spring 2021. The term of the working groups is from 9 October 2019 to 30 April 2021.

A long-term 12-year plan reaching across government terms will ensure that the development of the transport system is predictable from the perspective of people, businesses, municipalities and the public sector. In addition to the transport network, the plan will discuss operations supporting passenger and freight transport and the transport system, such as communications networks, traffic management and services as well as use of data. The plan includes a twelve-year action plan and a government funding programme.

The drafting of the national transport system plan is based on the Act on the Transport System and Highways that entered into force in August 2018.

Inquiries:

Sabina Lindström, Director-General, tel. tel. +358 40 527 6103, Twitter @LindstromSabina