SEUTU+ Transport Conditions of Carriage and Ticket Terms and Conditions

These Conditions of Carriage and Ticket Terms and Conditions apply from 1 January 2024 to the transport ordered in full or in part by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) for Southwest Finland and using the SEUTU+ ticket system. SEUTU+ is a trademark registered with the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland.

1. SEUTU+ card

The SEUTU+ card is an ID-based card on which you can buy tickets to be used on bus transport in the SEUTU+ area. The card can be purchased from SEUTU+ service points or ordered to your home. SEUTU+ cards can be used until further notice or until the SEUTU+ cards are replaced or the travel system is discontinued. If the SEUTU+ card is used in breach of these Terms and Conditions, the card may be taken away.

The back-end systems of the SEUTU+ card and the SEUTU+ app are not interconnected. Consequently, it is not possible to use SEUTU+ card tickets on the SEUTU+ app and vice versa.

1.1. SEUTU+ card with a season ticket

• A SEUTU+ card with a season ticket can only be used by the owner of the card and it cannot be given to another person for use.
• The home municipality stored in the customer data determines the transport area for which tickets can be bought on the card.
• A SEUTU+ card with a season ticket cannot have a serial ticket valid at the same time.

1.2. SEUTU+ card with a serial ticket

• A SEUTU+ card with a serial ticket can be used by anyone.
• The card is well-suited for joint use in families and companies, for example.
• A SEUTU+ card with a serial ticket cannot have a season ticket valid at the same time.

1.3. Lost SEUTU+ card

SEUTU+ cards can be reported as lost at a service point. A SEUTU+ card reported as lost cannot be used for travel or topped up with tickets.

Transferring a season or serial ticket from a lost SEUTU+ card to a new SEUTU+ card: Any season ticket or other tickets left on a SEUTU+ card reported as lost can be transferred to a new SEUTU+ card at a service point. Any remaining season ticket will be transferred to the new SEUTU+ card from the day on which you visit the service point.

1.4. Faulty or damaged SEUTU+ card

A SEUTU+ card that does not work or is otherwise faulty can be exchanged for a new one at a service point. Any season ticket or other tickets remaining on the faulty card can be transferred to the new card from the moment you visit the service point.

Customers have an obligation to handle the card carefully.

If a SEUTU+ card is faulty due to reasons attributable to SEUTU+:
Any loss arising from a faulty card will be refunded by extending the period of validity or by providing additional journeys if the card stops working due to a technical fault or a defect in a physical property of the card.

2. Tickets and buying tickets

2.1. Ticket sales locations

Tickets can be bought in the following ways:

  • Using the SEUTU+ app
  • From the SEUTU+ website
  • From SEUTU+ service points
  • On SEUTU+ transport buses

2.2. Payment methods

In the SEUTU+ app
bank or credit card, Pivo, MobilePay and commuting benefit

On the SEUTU+ website
bank or credit card

At SEUTU+ service points
bank or credit card, voucher and other payment methods accepted by the service point

On SEUTU+ transport buses
bank or credit card and cash

3. Ticket types

3.1. Single ticket

Single tickets can be purchased only on SEUTU+ transport buses. The ticket cannot be bought in advance and it is valid for one journey.

3.2. Day ticket

A day ticket allows you unlimited travel for 24 hours on SEUTU+ transport buses on the selected line. Day tickets are currently available for the following lines:

  • Turku-Parainen
  • Turku-Kemiönsaari

Day tickets can be purchased only on the SEUTU+ app. A day ticket can be bought in advance and the 24-hour period of validity can be activated by pressing the start button (Aloita) in the app. The day ticket must be valid at the start of travel.

3.3. Season ticket

A season ticket allows you to travel on SEUTU+ transport buses on the selected line within the ticket’s validity. The price is determined according to the selected line. The season ticket is valid for 30 days from the moment of purchase; the start time cannot be delayed. The season ticket must be valid at the start of travel.
Season tickets can be purchased in the following ways:

  • On a SEUTU+ card at a service point
  • On SEUTU+ transport buses
  • From the SEUTU+ website
  • Using the SEUTU+ app

Mobile season tickets can be purchased only on the SEUTU+ app.

3.3.1. Changing the validity area of a season ticket

The eligibility area of a season ticket cannot be changed during its validity. Serial and season tickets cannot be valid at the same time.

3.4. Serial ticket

A serial ticket includes 10 individual journeys on the selected line. The serial ticket is valid for one year from the moment of purchase; the start time cannot be delayed.

Serial tickets can be purchased in the following ways:

  • On a SEUTU+ card at a service point
  • On SEUTU+ transport buses
  • From the SEUTU+ website or using the SEUTU+ app

Mobile serial tickets can be purchased only on the SEUTU+ app.

3.4.1. Changing the validity area of a serial ticket

The eligibility area of a serial ticket cannot be changed during its validity. Serial and season tickets cannot be valid at the same time.

4. Ticket refunds

4.1. Right to refund

Tickets sold incorrectly can be refunded. The customer must report the ticket sold incorrectly without delay, and the wrong ticket must not be used.

4.2. Special circumstances of the customer

In special circumstances, the period of validity of a ticket can be extended on a case-by-case basis if the customer has been unable to use the ticket due to an unexpected change in their life circumstances and upholding the agreement would result in an unreasonable situation.

These special circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Hospitalisation
  • Admittance to institutional care
  • Other compelling circumstances comparable to the above where upholding the agreement would result in an unreasonable situation
  • The period of validity can be extended from the moment when the grounds for doing so first arose.

5. Discount groups and right to travel without a ticket

5.1. Discount groups

Children aged 4 to 11 as well as pensioners can buy SEUTU+ single tickets at a discounted rate. A discount is not available on serial, day or season tickets, except for students. Passengers belonging to a discount group must provide proof of their right to the discounted rate.

5.1.1. Students

SEUTU+ is a subsidised school transport ticket product for students that has been approved by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). Students can buy tickets at a student rate by verifying their identity when purchasing a ticket.

5.1.2. Children under 4 years of age

Children under 4 years of age travel free of charge on SEUTU+ transport buses.

5.1.3. Children aged 4 to 11

Children aged 4 to 11 receive a discount of 50% on adult rates for single tickets.

5.1.4. Pensioners

Pensioners receive a discount of 50% on adult rates for single tickets when the length of the journey exceeds 50 kilometres.

5.2. Right to travel without a ticket

The following customers are allowed to travel on SEUTU+ transport services without a ticket:

  • Children under 4 years of age
  • Passengers travelling with a child in a pram or pushchair on lines 117, 119, 612–615, 702–709 and 801–802 (low-floor vehicles)
  • Wheelchair users on lines 117, 119, 612–615, 702–709 and 801–802 (low-floor vehicles)

6. How to use tickets and other instructions

SEUTU+ tickets can be used on SEUTU+ transport buses as well as for connections in the Turku region Föli transport and Rauma Gyyt transport services if the purchased SEUTU+ ticket product includes connections.

6.1. Buying the correct ticket

It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that they buy the correct ticket.
The customer must find out which ticket they need for their journey. You can use, for example, the ‘Eligibility areas and connections’ section at seutuplus.fi and the Journey Planner in the SEUTU+ app to find out the routes for your journey and which ticket you need to buy.
When customers top up their SEUTU+ card or buy mobile tickets, they must check that the loaded ticket is appropriate.
Wrong tickets purchased will not be refunded if the ticket has been used.

6.2. Changing buses

SEUTU+ season ticket

You can change buses without limitation on the lines you have purchased. The right to transfer also applies to the Turku region Föli and Rauma Gyyt transport if the purchased ticket includes these services.

SEUTU+ single ticket

Single tickets do not include the right to transfer.

SEUTU+ serial ticket

Serial tickets include the right to transfer only between the following lines: 120–127, 102–164, 102–171 and 102–172.

SEUTU+ day ticket

With a day ticket, you can change buses on the selected line without limitation during the ticket’s validity. The ticket does not include connection journeys in the Föli area.

6.3. When do you have to buy your ticket?

SEUTU+ season ticket and SEUTU+ serial ticket:

The ticket must be on your phone or card before you board a bus.

SEUTU+ day ticket

The day ticket must have been activated when you board a bus.

SEUTU+ single ticket

Single tickets are bought on the bus at the start of travel.

6.4. Forbidden activities, substances and items

A public transport vehicle is classified as a public place to which the provisions of the Public Order Act (612/2003) apply. For example, the following activities are forbidden on board a public transport vehicle:

  • Disturbing public order and endangering public security, for example, by making noise, threats or other threatening behaviour likely to cause fear
  • Use of intoxicating substances
  • Transportation and possession of dangerous substances (such as gas bottles and corrosive substances)
  • Possession of objects and substances that can be used to harm others

A customer who violates the above provisions may be removed from the vehicle without any obligation to refund or otherwise reimburse the fare.

7. Ticket inspection

7.1. Showing your ticket

The customer has an obligation to show an appropriate ticket to ticket inspectors, security guards assisting them as well as bus drivers when asked.

When boarding a SEUTU+ bus, show your ticket to a reader device. When boarding a bus in the Föli area, show your ticket to the correct reader device corresponding to your destination. If the starting point or destination of the journey is outside the Föli area, show the travel card to the SEUTU+ reader. The customer is responsible for their right to travel throughout the journey.

Example: You have bought a Turku region + Föli season ticket on your travel card. Your planned journey is from Turku to Kaarina (in the Föli area) and later from Kaarina to Parainen (not in the Föli area). When boarding a bus in Turku, show your travel card to the Föli reader. Later, when continuing your journey from Kaarina to Parainen, show your travel card to the SEUTU+ reader on the bus.

7.2. Travelling without a ticket

In ticket inspection, passengers without an appropriate and valid ticket will be charged the price of a single ticket according to the current price list.

Ticket inspectors control, for example, the following matters:

  • Eligibility areas: The ticket covers all the eligibility areas through which the customer will be travelling.
  • Validity: The ticket is valid. When changing buses, the ticket can expire during the last leg of the journey. It is enough that the ticket is valid when boarding the bus.
  • Discount group: The ticket is appropriate as determined by the customer’s discount group. The customer must show reliable proof of their identity and right to the discount if asked by a ticket inspector.
  • SEUTU+ season ticket: A SEUTU+ season ticket can only be used by the owner of the ticket, who must show reliable proof of their identity if asked by a ticket inspector.

7.3. Special terms regarding tickets purchased via the SEUTU+ app

When using a ticket purchased via the SEUTU+ app, the ticket’s ID information must be presented so that the ticket inspector can check the ticket reliably.

If the phone on which the SEUTU+ app is installed is out of battery or the phone is not working for some other reason and you are unable to show your ticket, the inspector can charge you the price of a single ticket.

8. Checking your ticket and top-up information

You can check your ticket and top-up information in the following ways:

  • On the SEUTU+ website: Use the card number to view the ticket product that is active on the SEUTU+ card in question. You can check the purchase history from the transactions tab (Tapahtumat).
  • In the SEUTU+ app: You can check the mobile product that is active in the app. For a travel card, use the card number to view the ticket product that is active on the SEUTU+ card in question. You can check the purchase history from the purchases tab (Ostot).
  • At service points: You can ask for information about the tickets loaded on the SEUTU+ card and the purchase history at service points.

9. Luggage and pets on buses

Bicycles can be carried on SEUTU+ buses, provided there is room. You cannot reserve a spot for a bicycle in advance. A transport fee of 5 euros will be charged for the bicycle. When starting your journey from the Föli area, you should check Föli’s current provisions regarding bicycles and luggage.

When travelling with a pram in the passenger compartment, make sure the pram is securely in place and does not cause danger or any inconvenience for other passengers.

Pets: Harmless normal pets may travel on the bus, provided there is room. Guide dogs are always allowed. Pets must be on a lead during the journey and, if possible, pets should be seated towards the back of the vehicle. The customer may be removed from the bus if their pet causes a disturbance or harms the other passengers or the vehicle. When starting your journey from the Föli area, you must take into account Föli’s current provisions regarding travelling with pets.

10. Rights and limitation of liability of the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland

10.1. Rights of the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland

The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland has the right to charge the customer fees according to the price list valid at any given time. The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland has the right to change the prices and conditions of carriage, informing customers about them within a reasonable time. The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland has the right to use the customer data it has collected in its customer communications. The rights of the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland are not limited to the points listed above.

10.2. Limitation of liability of the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland

The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland shall not be liable for the use of the travel card in transport-related services other than its own. The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland is not obliged to compensate the customer for any damage caused by the operations of its contractual partners.

10.3. Force majeure

The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland shall not be liable for a defect, delay or non-performance of contractual obligations in so far as it is due to a force majeure. Force majeure means any event or occurrence preventing or making it unreasonably difficult to perform the obligations within the specified time. Such events include but are not limited to a war, a mutiny, an epidemic, a natural catastrophe, a general interruption of power supply or traffic, a general interruption of data communications, industrial action, a fire, essential restrictions set out by authorities or any other significant, unusual and unexpected event that is not in our control.

In addition, the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland shall not be liable for an error or delay by our contractual partner which is caused by a force majeure event.

We will notify customers of a force majeure event as soon as we are aware of it.

11. Transfer of rights and obligations, validity of and amendments to the Terms and Conditions

The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland has the right to transfer the rights and obligations under these Terms and Conditions to the organisation to whom our tasks are transferred, in whole or in part, by law or by an agreement.

These ELY Centre for Southwest Finland Public Transport Conditions of Carriage and Ticket Terms and Conditions are valid until further notice. The ELY Centre for Southwest Finland has the right to amend these Terms and Conditions, ticket products, prices, services, the scope of transport services, timetables, routes, methods of paying for tickets, methods of selling tickets and sales locations.

Customers will be notified of any amendments within a reasonable time via a notice from the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland, at seutuplus.fi or by some other appropriate means before the amendment takes effect. We may amend these Terms and Conditions with immediate effect during the term of the agreement if the amendment is based on a change in legislation, an authority’s decision or a force majeure event (see section 10.3).

12. SEUTU+ and data protection

The SEUTU+ customer register privacy policy is available on the SEUTU+ website. Privacy Policy – Seutu+ (seutuplus.fi)

13. Applicable law and settlement of disputes

13.1. Applicable law

These Terms and Conditions as well as the services and goods, service and good-specific terms and conditions as well as any agreements on services and goods referred to in these Terms and Conditions shall be governed by Finnish law.

13.2. Disputes

The customer should always contact the SEUTU+ customer service first.

Special consumer rights: If a dispute is not settled by negotiation between the parties, consumers have the right to refer the dispute to the Consumer Disputes Board. Before referring a dispute to the Consumer Disputes Board, customers are advised to contact Consumer Advisory Services; otherwise, the Consumer Disputes Board may refuse to process the complaint.

14. Terminating your customer relationship

Customers have the right to terminate their customer relationship at any time. The termination of the customer relationship is carried out at a service point. When terminating the customer relationship, the customer service representative must be able to reliably identify the customer. Any unused journeys or period of validity remaining on the customer account will not be refunded.

15. Contact information

Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Southwest Finland
Itsenäisyydenaukio 2
PO Box 636
20801 Turku
Tel. 0295 022 500
[email protected]