HELSINKI, November 11. The largest gateways in terms of passenger traffic points in south-eastern Finland have banned people from entering the country from Russia on bicycles, said the border guard duty officer at the Vaalimaa checkpoint. to the corresponding question.
At the same time, the agency’s interlocutor could not clarify why the ban was introduced and whether it applies to checkpoints in other regions of the country.
According to reviews of eyewitnesses on social networks, Russian border guards warn cyclists about the innovation. The Finns have placed appropriate road signs at the border crossing site. At the same time, at the checkpoint, cyclists are informed about the new rules and returned to Russia.
asked the Border Guard of the Republic for comment.
The Border Guard Detachment of South-East Finland serves the largest checkpoints in terms of passenger traffic, Nuijamaa, Imatra and the closest one to St. Petersburg — «Vaalimaa». Over the nine months of 2023, the border was crossed here 1,166,000 times. This is 12.8 percent less than for the same period in 2022, Finnish border guards reported.
The Vaalimaa — Torfyanovka checkpoint remains the largest in terms of passenger traffic — 762.5 thousand crossings were recorded here in ten months of the year. This is 4.6 percent more than a year earlier, according to Finnish statistics.