Can someone please explain this to me? Why there’s “D” zone but not “A”? when I take a tram inside Helsinki then why I need to buy “AB” when i’m not in the “B” zone?
Can someone please explain this to me? Why there’s “D” zone but not “A”? when I take a tram inside Helsinki then why I need to buy “AB” when i’m not in the “B” zone?
8 comments
AB covers all of Helsinki
That was the idea when the system was introduced. The previous zone system punished those who had to cross a zone border in short commutes, as they had to pay double the price because of that. The current system is more geographically fair as all tickets include one zone crossing. The D ticket is an exception for suburb transports.
That said, the system is still shit as no one wants to use trams for short trips in Helsinki anymore, in the way trams were used for like 150 years, as you have to pay the same high price as for a long Espoo-Helsinki commute.
Because HSL twisted way of thinking. It’s crazy and one reason I use car for all transportation in Helsinki.
People asked the same question when this zone change happened and according to HSL the A zone is too small to be its own zone (they would make less money).
Basically, there isn’t really supposed to be a zone A — there are zones AB and BC which happen to overlap. This was implemented because previously the tickets were based on municipal borders, so for example a short trip from Kamppi (Helsinki) to Tapiola (Espoo) could cost twice as much as a much longer trip to Vuosaari (also Helsinki). In the current system those cost the same, which is arguably more fair. Meanwhile you can still choose to travel from Tapiola to either Kamppi (AB ticket) or Kivenlahti (BC ticket) for around the same price.
Unfortunately HSL really screwed up communicating this basic idea. For complicated budgetary reasons, different zone combinations have different prices, and they even included a one-zone ticket for zone D out in the boonies. It would be so much clearer if one zone always cost the same amount and you could just say the minimum purchase is two zones. But no. People have been complaining about the “missing” A ticket all along.
We’ll see how it develops in the future, they’re already considering more changes.
AB is roughly the same size as old zone 1.
The idea is to give it more flexibility, you can choose whether to buy an AB or BC (or CD or any other combination) card depending on your own commute patterns.
It is about revenue. Public transport in capital area is only partly funded by cities. It isn’t meant to be only nice for passengers.
Because fuck you, that’s why.
All other answers are just copium.