Stand on either side of escalators? Commuters reluctant to ditch 'keep left' habit in SMRT trial

Detailed summary

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…

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.

SINGAPORE: Transport operator SMRT is trialling a new approach to escalator use at two MRT stations, encouraging commuters to stand on either side instead of keeping to the left, but old habits may be hard to break.

All 10 commuters interviewed by CNA on Saturday (Nov 7) said they preferred the long-standing practice of keeping on the left and leaving the right side clear for those who wish to walk.

The month-long trial at City Hall and Raffles Place MRT stations marks a departure from the familiar escalator etiquette in Singapore, where commuters typically keep left to allow others to overtake on the right.

Opening of the article, excerpted from CNA. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.