Japanese City Creates Initiative to Discourage Walking on Escalators

The Nagoya city government has announced it is conducting research with Osaka University students in which they are using posters to discourage walking on escalators, NHK World Japan reports. In Japan, people commonly stand on one side of escalators so passengers can walk past on the other side. Nagoya started its initiative due to a survey by an industrial organization that showed approximately half of accidents involving escalators resulted from “improper use,” such as walking on them. Last October, the city enacted an ordinance that banned walking on escalators to prevent these accidents and, since then, has been encouraging escalator users to stand on both sides. Three different kinds of posters were produced based on a concept called Nudge Theory, which is designed using behavioral economics to get people to take certain actions. Posters were displayed at some escalator entrances, encouraging standing on the stairs side-by-side, while other escalators have no posters. Research will compare passenger behavior on escalators with posters and those without.