Small footprints have appeared on some subway escalators in Beijing, reminding passengers to stand side by side; The Shanghai Metro clearly states in the escalator instructions that walking or running is prohibited; The Chengdu Metro in Sichuan Province specifically responded to netizens by stating that it does not advocate for "standing on the left and standing on the right" and recommends that passengers stand still when taking escalators... Many subway operating companies in various places have issued proposals or reminders: they do not advocate for "standing on the left and standing on the right" and vigorously promote it, guiding passengers to stand firm and hold onto the escalator. Left side, right side "refers to standing on the right side when taking an escalator, leaving space on the left side for passengers on their way or as an emergency passage. As a widely recognized international practice, this approach has been introduced by many cities in China and people have become accustomed to it. How did the change occur from yielding to safe standing? In the interview, multiple subway operating companies pointed the reason to a key keyword - safety. From the perspective of the characteristics of escalators, the "Safety Code for Manufacturing and Installation of Escalators and Moving Walkways" (GB 16899-2011) specifies that escalators are fixed electrically driven equipment with circulating steps used for transporting passengers in an upward or downward inclined manner. Even when not in operation, it is not recommended to use escalators as fixed stairs, "explained the person in charge of Beijing Metro Group. Due to the fact that the height of the steps on escalators is often higher than that of regular stairs, passengers walking on running escalators are prone to situations such as stepping on them and falling over. For the sake of elevator safety, it is recommended to stand firmly and hold onto the escalator. The relevant person in charge of Chengdu Metro Group reminds passengers that if there is an urgent need, it is recommended to choose the escalator for passage. From the perspective of equipment maintenance, "after a long period of practice, we have found that long-term 'left running right standing' can lead to higher wear on the right roller of the escalator than on the left, and due to the composite stress of static and dynamic on one side and the opposite side, asymmetric loads are applied to the step chain, causing asynchronous elongation on both sides, reducing ride comfort, increasing maintenance costs, and increasing safety hazards," explained relevant experts. From the perspective of operating speed, experts have analyzed that compared to escalators in shopping malls, subway escalators run faster and pose a greater risk of falling while walking or running on them. Moreover, with the continuous increase of subway passenger flow, the traffic pressure of escalators increases during peak hours. Standing side by side can improve the effective passenger area utilization of escalators. Changing existing habits and reshaping civilized cognition is not a one-time effort. The development of new habits for safe travel relies on continuous publicity and guidance. Many places are taking multiple measures to strengthen guidance. In Beijing, in order to further ensure the safety of passengers' travel, there are instructions for riding on subway escalators. The instructions include illustrations of holding children, holding handrails, prohibiting hand carts, as well as text prompts such as "stand facing the direction of escalator operation in sequence and hold the handrail firmly", accompanied by a voice prompt of "hold firmly and hold firmly". Beijing Metro has also launched pilot projects for the appearance treatment and painting of escalator steps, making the yellow warning lines at the edges of the steps more prominent. Yellow footprints have also been sprayed at stations such as Xizhimen on Line 13 and Beijing Station on Line 2 to guide passengers to board the escalator within the yellow warning lines. In Shanghai, according to the requirements of the Elevator Safety Management Measures, the new version of the subway public safety promotional video clearly emphasizes that "walking and running on escalators are prohibited". For over 10 years, we have been conducting safety education, from removing the phrase 'walking on the left and standing on the right' from promotional videos to explicitly prohibiting walking or running in elevator instructions. The relevant person in charge of Shanghai Shentong Metro Group stated that in the future, we will continue to implement the relevant requirements of the 'Shanghai Elevator Safety Management Measures', further improve safety publicity, and shape the habit of standing firm and supporting oneself. Industry insiders suggest that in order to effectively change elevator riding habits, it is recommended to widely promote the safety risks and advantages of standing side by side through various channels such as broadcasting, screens, posters, etc. At the same time, regularly carry out the "Safety Elevator Promotion Week" activity, through on-site explanations, interactive experiences, safety demonstrations, and other forms of concentrated popularization of escalator safety knowledge, and increase publicity efforts. In addition, for passengers who violate regulations, staff should strengthen dissuasion and guidance to reduce the risk of elevator safety. (New Society)