The organisation of the administrative branch of the Ministry of Transport and Communications will change at the beginning of 2019. The Finnish Transport Safety Agency, Trafi; Communications Regulatory Authority and certain functions of the Transport Agency will merge into a new Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom). The current Transport Agency will continue as Transport Infrastructure Agency.
The reform responds to the changes in the operating environment paying even more attention to the customers’ needs.
The Government proposed on 22 November 2018 that the Acts (government proposals 61/2018, 104/2018 and 102/2018) concerning the agencies in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Transport and Communications be adopted.
The President of the Republic is expected to adopt the Acts concerning the reform on 23 November 2018.
The implementation Act concerned is expected to enter into force on 27 November 2018 and the other related acts on 1 January 2019.
Transport Infrastructure Agency
The duties of the current Transport Agency that are not directly related to transport infrastructure and management will be transferred to the Transport and Communications Agency or to traffic control company Traffic Management Finland. The current Transport Agency will be called Transport Infrastructure Agency and it will continue its operations without interruption.
The Transport Infrastructure Agency will be a contracting agency focusing on the planning, development and maintenance of road, rail and maritime transport infrastructure and on the coordination of transport and land use policies. The Agency will also be responsible for winter navigation.
The number of employees at the Agency will be around 400.
Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom)
The Transport Safety Agency, Trafi; Communications Regulatory Authority and certain functions of the Transport Agency will merge into a new Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom.
The Transport and Communications Agency will develop the information society and the transport system on a national scale. It will monitor and promote the transport and communications markets and services. The Agency will be an authority serving people and businesses in permit, licence, registration, approval, safety and security matters. It will also be responsible for arranging the necessary examinations in the sector.
The number of employees at the Agency will be around 900.
The launch of the Transport and Communications Agency will not affect the existing operations of the merging organisations or their customer services. The services will continue without interruption and will be further developed and improved.
Applications for the position of Director-General of the new Agency were invited until 8 November 2018. The appointment is expected to be made by the end of November.
Traffic Management Finland Oy
The current traffic control and management services of the Transport Agency (road and maritime traffic, and rail traffic as far as it is the responsibility of the agency) will be transferred to a state-owned company with special assignment, Traffic Management Finland Oy.
The Act on the incorporation of the current traffic control and management services into a limited liability company was adopted on 13 July 2018 and will enter into force on 1 January 2019.
What next?
The President of the Republic is expected to adopt the Acts (parliamentary reply EV 102/2018 vp) concerning the reform of the agencies in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Transport and Communications on 23 November 2018.
The aim is that the Director-General of the Transport and Communications Agency be appointed in November.
The new agencies will start their operations on 1 January 2019 as the acts and decrees on the agencies in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Transport and Communications enter into force.
(Source: FTA)
