Traffic signs

Signage and guidance

Jalankulun ja pyöräilyn viittoja

On a public road, there may be directions to a cafe, restaurant, etc., but in urban areas there are usually no directions provided. The urban area mainly rely on street name signage. The sites can have signage on their own property to the extent allowed by building control.

The address sign (traffic sign F16) can be used in urban areas to guide the public to the most important agencies, institutions, service facilities, and industrial and commercial buildings that generate a lot of traffic. The traffic sign F16 is usually used for local guidance.

For practical reasons, it is necessary to restrict signs in urban environments due to the large number of sites.

Signage for service facilities

In the planning of service facilities within the Kuopio urban area, principles have been created that can be used to implement a uniform signing method for the entire street network managed by the city (City Engineer’s decision 1 April 2003, section 37).

  • The signage is set only at the request of the institution etc. and at the requester’s expense.
  • If the signage of the location has been started outside the urban area, signage is also used in the urban area to ensure continuity.
  • In the city centre area, no signs are set.

Signage in residential areas

  • Signage can only be set for agencies, institutions or service facilities that are important for the public.
  • Private companies are provided signage on a case-by-case basis and on a discretionary basis in exceptional cases.
  • The sign is usually placed on the main or collector street.
  • The sign used is an address sign (traffic sign F16).

Industrial, business and other areas

  • Common guide boards are usually used, with a map if necessary.
  • Signage is only set for companies that generate a lot of traffic or are otherwise socially significant.
  • A road sign (F13) can be set for large companies, an address sign (F16) for others.

The City of Kuopio and the North Savo ELY Centre have started jointly preparing a general plan for signage. The work is to be completed in spring 2024.

Traffic signs on the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s website