What is the reason why the London subway banned the escalator?

ByElminium

The London Bureau of Transportation (TfL) has been informed that "Please stand on the right side" for a long time at the escalator of the subway station, but for three weeks at Holborn station which is the nearest station of the British Museum, "Please stand on both sides" I tried the test. Why were you trying to change the habit that was already spread among the citizens, there was a proper reason there.

The tube at a standstill: why TfL stopped people walking up the escalators | UK news | The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/16/the-tube-at-a-standstill-why-tfl-stopped-people-walking-up-the-escalators


TfL's escalator "rule on the right side", that is, it is a rule to leave it on the left for the walkers. This was not a rule born of nature, it was what TfL himself called for like that for a long time. In the United States, people who stop at the vacant side and disturb the flow of people are expressed as "escalumps", but this is not only in the UK, but in many countries "for one who walks on one side of the escalator It is recognized that it is recognized as "space of".

People who work at TfL did not think about reforming the rule "Please stand on the right" at first. However, Mr. Lau Ren, head of the Vauxhall district, traveled to Hong Kong, experiencing "traveling efficiently and safely by standing on both sides of the escalator", in the UK similar I thought that I could do that.

The escalator at Holborn station is as long as 23.4 m, but as much as it is, if people try to stand on both sides, it will be possible to ride more than 31 people per minute, the prospect of increasing by 28% at a rate It was. Currently, London with a population of 8.6 million people will be 10 million cities by 2030 and TfL users will be increased by 60%, so we need to create capacity to carry as many people as possible That's why.

ByGed Carroll

In fact, for 3 weeks, the trial "Let's stand on both sides" was conducted, and the staff stood up and down the escalator and said that they stood on both sides without leaving the left side. According to The Guardian, until the day the number of people using the escalator in the morning rush hour was 11,545 people, the day when we called out to "do not walk", 16,220 people could use it, predicted in advance It is said that it exceeded the value of.

However, not all went well, it seems that the person walking on the left side did not become zero.

【UK】 London Underground station Holborn station is now undergoing experimental measures to stop walking on one side with an escalator and stop at both sides. But almost none obey the instructions, as usual the left side is full of people who are walking around.Pic.twitter.com/0AM1IKXUUP

- News Digest (@ newsdigest)2015, November 30

Originally "standing on the right" is originated in the UK, for example, in Australia "standing on the left side", in Japan Japan has Tokyo on the left side, Osaka on the right side, the rules are changed finely. In Hong Kong and Japan, because escalators are prohibited from walking in consideration of safety, it is unlikely that it will become stated that "escalators stop and ride" in due course.

However, in the wonder festival 2008 [summer], a person riding on the treadle plate occasionally resulted in an accident in which the escalator was broken. The cause is not "over-riding", but the question of whether it is safe is it that the people ride heavily on all treads of the long escalator during the rush hour period.

Wonder Festival 2008 Summer, there were too many people right after the opening and the escalator broke down from the 4th floor to the 1st floor with a sound like a sounding backflow, injuries occurred - GIGAZINE