New fee on heavy Russian trucks
As of this week, Russian lorries weighing more than 38 tons are required to have a special permit when driving in Finland.
The permit, issued by the Finnish Vehicle Administration (AKE), costs 180 EUR. According to the Customs Board, the new law affects 10-15 percent of Russian trucks, YLE reports. Finnish transport companies are afraid that the extra fee will prompt some traffic to choose alternate routes south of the Baltic – or over it by ship – but the Transport Ministry dismisses these concerns. Finland and Russia are to hold talks next month on fees for overweight vehicles and related issues.
