Fines for riding public transport without a ticket in the Helsinki region will rise to 100 euros starting on 1 January.
The increase followed a change in regulations by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, following a request by the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL).
The current fare dodging fine, set in 2007, is 80 euros.
The aim of increasing the fine is to reduce the number of people who use public transportation without buying tickets.
Since the last fine hike in 2007, ticket prices and general costs have risen, according to a ministry press release issued on Wednesday. The ministry said the fine level should be in step with the development of prices, as a financial incentive for people to buy tickets.
The ministry noted that the law limits ticket inspection fines to a maximum of 40 times the cost of the cheapest single adult ticket. It said that the maximum fine that HSL would be able to impose on a fare dodger would be 118 euros.
The ministry added that in most fare dodging cases people are fined once or a small number of times, while a small minority of people have been fined six or more times.
Last month HSL announced that it was slightly reducing some ticket fees in January.
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