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

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.

A sign at City Hall MRT station encouraging commuters to stand on both sides on the escalator on Nov 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

Loraine Lee 07 Nov 2026 03:07PM (Updated: 07 Nov 2026 08:11PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST 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.

SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said that the trial, which began on Oct 29, aims to improve escalator safety and assess whether having commuters stand on both sides could make better use of capacity.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less "Slips, trips and falls remain a concern and through this trial, we hope to encourage safer use of escalators to reduce such incidents," he said.

The rail operator will study commuter patterns and behaviour at both stations over the month.

At City Hall MRT station on Saturday, announcements repeatedly urged commuters to "please stand on both sides of the escalator".

Two signs bearing the same message were also placed at the foot of an escalator.

Despite the reminders, most commuters observed by CNA between 12.20pm and 1pm continued to stand on the left and walk on the right.

Some stood on the right when the escalator was less crowded, but shifted to the left when others approached from behind.

The commuters interviewed by CNA at the station said they preferred to retain the existing practice, with several arguing that keeping the right side clear allowed those in a hurry to move faster.

Among them was Madam Doris Lai, a 70-year-old retiree, who said she found it frustrating when people stood on the right and blocked those who wanted to walk.

"I don't dare tell them off because I'm scared of starting a fight. But I think we should allow people in a rush to walk," she said.

Mdm Lai said she would continue standing on the left, although she acknowledged that exceptions should be made for those who might need to stand on the right for safety reasons, such as elderly commuters who are less steady on their feet.

For Ngee Ann Polytechnic student Fana Sualsi, 19, keeping left has become second nature.

"When I was in Australia recently, people stood on both sides of the escalator – it was so inefficient to get around," she said.

"But here, everyone's going towards the left. It makes so much more sense for efficiency."

Civil servant Ain Zain, 45, said being able to walk up escalators was particularly important during her morning commute.

"I start work at 8am, and I always walk up the escalator so I'm not late. We should keep the right side clear for people who are running late and rushing somewhere," she said.

CNA's observations also highlighted the trade-off between individual convenience and overall escalator capacity.

Commuters who walked up the escalator generally took about 20 seconds to complete the ride, compared with about 30 seconds for those who stood still.

However, during busier periods, some commuters had to wait more than 10 seconds to join the queue on the left, while the right side remained relatively clear.

Others trying to move into the left-hand queue temporarily obstructed the right side, slowing those who wanted to walk.

While walking may be faster for individual commuters, SMRT is assessing whether encouraging people to stand on both sides could allow more passengers to use escalators efficiently.

Other cities have encouraged commuters to stand on both sides of escalators, moving away from the long-standing practice of leaving one side clear for those who wish to walk.

In London, transport authorities trialled the approach at Holborn Underground station in 2016 to ease congestion.

The trial found that having passengers stand on both sides increased escalator capacity by about 30 per cent, according to research presented at the Symposium on Lift and Escalator Technologies that year.

However, the research did not find statistically significant evidence of improved safety.

In Japan, some local authorities have gone a step further by introducing rules requiring escalator users to stand still.

Saitama prefecture introduced such rules in October 2021, followed by the city of Nagoya in October 2023.

Nagoya's rules require commuters to remain stationary on escalators, regardless of which side they use, to reduce the risk of falls and collisions.

In Taiwan, metro authorities have also encouraged commuters to stand on both sides of escalators to improve safety and passenger flow.

The move marked a shift from the previous practice of standing on the right to leave the left side clear for those walking.

Authorities began reviewing the practice after a crowd surge at a metro station on New Year's Eve in 2005 led to pushing, collisions and injuries.

South Korea is preparing a nationwide campaign to encourage commuters to stand on either side of escalators, following studies into commuter attitudes and the impact of uneven usage on equipment wear and tear.

One government-commissioned study found that wear on the chain wheels and guide rails on the right side of escalators was more than 95 per cent higher than on the left. This shortened maintenance intervals by up to 20 per cent and drove up repair costs.

A separate survey of 1,000 South Korean commuters in August 2026 found that opinions were almost evenly split.

Some commuters in Singapore said they were unlikely to change their habits despite the signs encouraging them to stand on both sides.

"Even when walking on a pavement, I keep left. It's socially acceptable to keep left, so I don't think I'll make the switch," said Ms Wing Xin Tai, a 22-year-old Nanyang Technological University student.

Mr Boh, a 60-year-old working in the aviation sector who declined to share his full name, believes the change in habit might be possible.

"It's ingrained in us to keep left. But Singaporeans are all very law-abiding. They'll follow this if it's a rule," he said, before asking if it was a rule or a suggestion.

And as CNA watched him and his wife get on the escalator, the couple both kept to the left.