Stand on either side of escalators? Commuters reluctant to ditch 'keep left' habit in SMRT trial
CNA's observations at City Hall MRT station found that commuters who walked up the steps on the right took about 20 seconds to complete the ride, compared with 30 seconds for those who stood still on the left.
SMRT, the Singapore transport operator, is conducting a month-long trial at two MRT stations to encourage commuters to stand on either side of escalators, rather than keeping to the left as is the norm. This departure from traditional escalator etiquette aims to enhance safety and improve capacity utilization. However, commuters interviewed by CNA expressed reluctance to change their long-standing habit of keeping left to allow others to overtake on the right.
The trial began on October 29 at City Hall and Raffles Place MRT stations, with announcements and signs urging commuters to stand on both sides. Despite reminders, most commuters continued to stand on the left and walk on the right, with some shifting to the right when the escalator was less crowded. Those interviewed preferred retaining the existing practice, citing efficiency and the need for those in a hurry to move faster.
While walking up escalators is generally faster for individual commuters, SMRT is assessing whether encouraging shared usage could allow more passengers to utilize escalators efficiently. Other cities, such as London, Japan, and South Korea, have experimented with similar approaches, with varying degrees of success in terms of capacity and safety.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
