Cell Phone Question

[lpage160]

Ew, that is a ridiculous situation. I definitely don't blame you for being upset there... I would be to.
I agree though, an app that actually tracked the things would be amazing!

One day maybe

[Jukka Aho]

Of these, Linjat and Moovit work in multiple Finnish cities whereas Bussit and Andropas are for the Helsinki Region Transport only.

They don't seem quite the same thing that i've used in other cities though, they seem to work on timetable information for buses and don't track where the bus actually is on it's route.

The Bussit app has a real-time GPS tracking view of the Kutsuplus minibuses and the trams (IIRC) but I'm not sure about the actual buses... and I don't know if the app actually makes any use of this info when calculating routes. It likely doesn't, at least by itself, as it probably just queries the HRT journey planner backend via the public, open-access API.

Some bus lines would appear to have GPS tracking, though. Many bus stops in Helsinki have these radio-controlled, electronic waiting time displays which have two distinct modes for displaying the times: one with a tilde sign (which means real-time tracking for that line is not available and the displayed waiting time is based on the timetables only) and another one without the tilde sign (which means the waiting time is actually based on real-time tracking.)

However, this service does not (yet?) extend to Espoo... or at least I have not seen any such displays here, except on the "Joker" line (550), which is a bit of a special case. The tracking data for the buses obviously isn't available via their open-access API, either (I guess), since otherwise the position of the buses could be monitored here, or in any of the apps.

HRT might currently have a bit more pressing things on their to-do list, though... such as their ultimate goal of unifying all the formerly separate municipal line numbering systems so that people could actually make sense of them...), or reorganizing Espoo's bus lines to feed the new metro line extension.

I have not forgiven the helsinki region for a pricing structure that means if you plan to take train + bus and your train is really delayed then you must buy a second ticket for the bus since your connection time has expired (through the train being late and no fault of your own!!). You pay more when the train is late! ridiculous.

They will revamp the ticket system and fares in 2017, moving on to concentric ring zones, instead of the current system where you have to pay a more expensive fare when your journey crosses one of the municipal borders. Not sure how that will affect the allowed connection times, but there will surely be changes.

[Jukka Aho]

Some bus lines would appear to have GPS tracking, though.

Come to think of it, maybe those waiting time displays are based on some simpler real-time tracking system, such as the bus driver manually pressing a button on his dashboard terminal whenever he passes a stop. Which would explain the missing GPS data for the buses. (Although you could work out something from that kind of data, too... approximating the position of the bus on the map based on the latest passed stop and the timetables.)

[Rosamunda]

The default mode is that the buses are running "on time". I use them every day and they are rarely late and when they are it's just a minute or two, no big deal. What is infuriating is when they are running early (eg no traffic in between rush hours) and they don't slow down to synchronise with the timetables. Many time I've missed a bus during the day because the bus has whizzed past while I am on my way to the stop. Annoying, since they are less frequent at that time of day, I may have to wait 15-20 mins for the next one.

[lpage160]

Note to self: when using public transit always plan to be at destination at least 30 minutes early.

[Jukka Aho]

I have not forgiven the helsinki region for a pricing structure that means if you plan to take train + bus and your train is really delayed then you must buy a second ticket for the bus since your connection time has expired (through the train being late and no fault of your own!!). You pay more when the train is late! ridiculous.

I take it you're not this guy?

http://www.mtv.fi/uutiset/rikos/artikke ... si/5126254

[Ravintolavaunu]

Hi,

I have an add-on question to the one that Ipage160 asked.

How does this work in praxis to get a mobile phone contract by paying a deposit? Does anyone have experience with it?

Do I simply go to any shop and explain what I want and negotiate the amount of the deposit? Or is there a general rule how high it is, i.e. monthly fee is 25 EUR, contract valid for 12 months, deposit is 25 x 12 = 300 EUR?
Where is actually the decision taken about the deposit, etc? Just think in case decicions are not taken in the shop, is it better to first contact their call-center or take contact by e-mail, clarify, possibly send copies of ID, etc? Or do the shops have the freedome to decide and I just go there with all my documents from birth to date just in case?

My situation: Non-resident in FIN but in other EU country, therefore no Henkilötunnus. Finnish bank account (Nordea) as salary account since 5 years (salary comes from other EU country), but no identification service active with bank codes due to no Henkilötunnus. Several times a year in Finland and therefore fed-up with prepaid.

[Upphew]

Hi,

I have an add-on question to the one that Ipage160 asked.

How does this work in praxis to get a mobile phone contract by paying a deposit? Does anyone have experience with it?

Do I simply go to any shop and explain what I want and negotiate the amount of the deposit? Or is there a general rule how high it is, i.e. monthly fee is 25 EUR, contract valid for 12 months, deposit is 25 x 12 = 300 EUR?
Where is actually the decision taken about the deposit, etc? Just think in case decicions are not taken in the shop, is it better to first contact their call-center or take contact by e-mail, clarify, possibly send copies of ID, etc? Or do the shops have the freedome to decide and I just go there with all my documents from birth to date just in case?

My situation: Non-resident in FIN but in other EU country, therefore no Henkilötunnus. Finnish bank account (Nordea) as salary account since 5 years (salary comes from other EU country), but no identification service active with bank codes due to no Henkilötunnus. Several times a year in Finland and therefore fed-up with prepaid.

Shops don't decide anything. They seem to call the same call pool that you would call yourself. General rule is some hundreds of euros, that 300 might be close, but they calculate that you won't cost them much more than that before they close your line. Not having an address might pose a problem though and make the deposit higher. On the other hand the new roaming rules might help with that.

[riku2]

the new roaming rules might help with that.

what are the "new roaming rules"?

[Upphew]

the new roaming rules might help with that.

what are the "new roaming rules"?

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/roaming-tariffs

[riku2]

They are not that new (almost a year old) and still the roaming costs are higher than domestic. Especially for data they are still massively higher and the EU decided not to proceed with the "roaming in EU = same price as domestic" plan they were thinking of.