Statement of World Student Capital
The increases HSL is once again planning to public transport ticket prices hit students at a time when we are already struggling financially. HSL is also planning to raise the penalty fare to 130 euros at the same time. World Student Capital (WSC) demands that the financial situation of students in the Capital Region is not weakened any further by raising the cost of travel.
Public transport is a necessary part of the everyday life of over one hundred thousand students living in the Capital Region. Public transport is used to go to lectures, internships, work and the events of student life. According to the Students’ City 2023 study, 74% of the respondents use public transport at least a few times a week. With the prices of public transport increasing, students are facing yet another obstacle in the struggle to make ends meet.
Constantly increasing the ticket prices is unsustainable. During the last 15 years, the prices of HSL’s tickets have increased by 55–75%, depending on the ticket type. The prices of student tickets have also increased, with public transport already taking up almost one sixth of students’ monthly study grants. If someone earning the median income in Helsinki had to spend the same share of their income on the 30-day season ticket as students do, the ticket would cost as much as around 200 euros per month.
According to the Students’ City 2023 study, 69% of the respondents were concerned about their income and 37% had had to not purchase food and/or medicine because of their low livelihood. In the current financial situation, failing to buy a ticket is not necessarily caused by indifference or the desire to travel without paying – it may simply be done out of the necessity to make a choice between necessary expenses. Students should not have to be weighing up whether to use their money on groceries for the week or on travelling to lectures.
Currently, around 80% of penalty fares end up in debt collection. If a person cannot afford to buy a public transport ticket, the ever-increasing penalty fare will not bring back the lost ticket income. Instead, it may worsen the debt and payment problems of students who are in a difficult financial situation to begin with.
Nikola Eerola
Vice-Chair of World Student Capital
WSC’s members include the University of the Arts Student Union (ArtSU), Arcada Student Union (ASK), Student Union O’Diako (ODIAKO), the Student Union of Haaga-Helia (Helga), the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY), the Student Union of Humak University of Applied Sciences (HUMAKO), Laurea University of Applied Sciences’ Student Union (Laureamko) and the Student Union of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (METKA).
Use the calculator to determine how much HSL’s AB monthly pass should cost in each income bracket so that it would be the same price as it currently is for students:
This post is also available in .