Taxi regulation reforms moving forward – Government to submit proposal to Parliament in spring 2026

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is finalising the government proposal to amend taxi regulation. Next, the proposal will be reviewed by the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis, translated and submitted to legislative editing. The aim is to submit the government proposal to Parliament in spring 2026.

“The reform of taxi regulation is progressing in line with the Ministry’s original plan. I’m delighted we’ve reached consensus on this. This is great news for the entire taxi sector. We will restore the sector’s trust, curb the grey economy and bring safe taxis back to Finland,” says Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne.

The proposal will largely follow the lines set out during the consultation process. All taxis would need to have a taximeter for collecting the data to control the taxi services.

Controlling and identifying taxis would be made easier in several ways. Distinctive coloured number plates would be introduced for taxis. Taxi licence holders would need to register the ownership or possession of their vehicles serving as taxis and link them to their taxi transport licence in the register. Licence holder details would be made publicly accessible via vehicle registration numbers, allowing passengers to verify licence validity online.

The conditions for obtaining a taxi transport licence and a taxi driving licence would be tightened, and training and test supervision improved. New taxi drivers would be expected to attend 21 hours of training. Those already working in the sector would need to complete 7 hours of continuing professional education when renewing their taxi driving licence. The continuing education requirement would be in place for a fixed term.

What’s next?

Next, the proposal will be reviewed by the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis. The Council issues statements on government proposals and on their regulatory impact assessments.

The proposal will also be translated into Swedish. Both language versions will be submitted to legislative editing, after which corrections may be made.

The Government aims to submit the legislative proposal to Parliament during the week beginning 23 February in 2026. The timetable may change depending on translation and technical corrections.

Inquiries:

Requests for interviews with Minister Ranne:
Tuomas Sorsa, Special Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 012, [email protected] 

Taxi regulation:
Sissi Kohtala, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 208, [email protected]
Elina Immonen, Director of Unit, tel. +358 295 342 159, [email protected]