Japanese City to Forbid Walking, Running on Escalators

Lawmakers in Saitama, Japan, passed an ordinance on March 26 forbidding passengers from walking or running on escalators, mothership reports. Although likely to not carry any penalty if breached, the ordinance is set to become effective on October 1. Railway operators and others have pushed for passengers to stand on escalators and hold handrails for years, despite commuters’ annoyance at the perceived interruption to their daily rush. Proponents of the “stand still and hold the handrail” approach believe safety will be improved. There are approximately 775 escalator injuries in Japan each year, with 805 occurring between January 2018 and December 2019.