Supplements to the new Road Traffic Act circulated for consultation

The Government proposes supplements to the new Road Traffic Act that is to enter into force in summer 2020. The need for amendments is due to changes in Finnish and European Union legislation. The aim is to have a clear set of provisions covering the use of vehicles on the road.

Some of the proposed amendments relate to the reform of the administrative branch of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and some are technical in nature.

With regard to the Ministry's administrative branch, the provisions governing the powers in the new Road Traffic Act will be specified so that the Act will be in line with the new structure of the administrative branch, which changed at the beginning of 2019. At that time, the Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) and the Transport Infrastructure Agency were established and they have been assigned duties under the new Road Traffic Act.

Some of the proposed amendments are technical in nature. These include the transfer of the provisions relating to the so-called HCT (High Capacity Transport) vehicle combinations and heavy snowmobiles from government decrees into legislation. At the same time, the approval of HCT vehicles for road transport requires amendments to the legislation on special transport.

Also the wording of the new Road Traffic Act would be clarified and the Driving Licence Act and the Act on the Enforcement of a Fine would be specified insofar as they relate to the new Road Traffic Act.

What next?

On 5 December 2019, the Ministry of Transport and Communications circulated the supplements to the Road Traffic Act for consultation. The deadline for comments is on 16 January 2020.

Comments may be submitted by all organisations and private individuals. Opinions are primarily requested online at www.lausuntopalvelu.fi or, alternatively, by e-mail to [email protected].

Following the consultation round, the preparations for the Act will continue by Ministry officials.

The new Road Traffic Act has been adopted and will enter into force on 1 June 2020. The proposed amendments are expected to enter into force at the same time.

Inquiries:

Kimmo Kiiski, Senior Adviser, Road Transport, tel. +358 50 539 5346