MP Aleksi Jäntti recalls 1990s security work

In a statement tied to Tampere city council, Tamperelainen writes that MP Aleksi Jäntti says he wants Helsinki Regional Transport’s 1990s approach to fare inspections applied to Nysse, arguing it could improve ticket inspectors’ safety.

Jäntti, a member of the Finnish Parliament and Tampere City Council, raised the issue during a council question session on Monday. He said he had worked as a metro guard in Helsinki while studying at the National Defence University in the 1990s, describing fare enforcement as routine and aimed at preventing situations from escalating. He compared his past work to today’s practice on Nysse and focused on equal treatment of passengers as well as inspectors’ working conditions.

The background is a discussion about what force fare inspectors are allowed to use if a passenger tries to flee during an inspection. Jäntti referred to a model where guards could support inspections when needed. He noted that Nysse ticket inspectors wear bodycam-style “overall cameras” but do not have pepper spray or handcuffs, and he said the police should not be the first “backing” for inspectors. Deputy mayor Ilkka Porttikivi responded that security services are available at certain times on trams but not on buses, and that the tram control centre can request guards for the driver’s request, with similar practices planned for bus services.

Porttikivi also said that about one percent of all passengers are caught for fare evasion during inspections, that only a small portion try to run, and that high-risk or dangerous situations requiring police occur in Tampere public transport roughly 30–40 times per year. He added that ticket inspectors are not required to have guard or security staff training, with requirements emphasizing excellent customer service and the ability to act in demanding situations, while police issue the inspection card.