Stop! Nagoya Bans Walking on Escalators

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:15 JST, October 1, 2023

NAGOYA — A Nagoya city ordinance requiring passerby stand on escalators rather than walking on them has gone into effect as of Sunday.

In Nagoya, it is custom to leave the right side of the escalator open for those in a hurry. The challenge now is how to let passerby know about the ordinance and enforce it to prevent accidents such as falls.

The ordinance requires passersby to stop and stand on any escalators at stations and other facilities in the city, regardless of whether they stand on the left or right. There are no penalties for breaking the rule.

The Saitama prefectural government was the first in the country to enforce a similar ordinance in October 2021. A study found that at one point, enforcement decreased the percentage of people walking on escalators from 60% to 38%, but it has now returned to the pre-ordinance level.