Finland to Require Maintenance Certificate from All International Hauliers

Buses and lorries wishing to cross the Finnish border will be required to present maintenance inspection certificates from January 27. According to the Finnish Ministry of Transport, the new rules apply to vehicles from most European countries, and also to Finnish drivers leaving the country. Certificates will only be valid for one year, and drivers without a certificate will face paying a fine.

As Rosbalt reported earlier, Russia has not yet decided which department or agency will issue the certificates and Russian firms had feared that their vehicles would be turned back at the Finnish border. However, the Finnish Transport Ministry has recommended that fines should not be levied until the end of March. During this initial period drivers will only receive a warning. Nevertheless, lorries and buses entering Finland from Russia will be subjected to spot checks during the usual border control procedures.