The Toronto Transit Commission is discouraging people from walking up escalators, advising against common practice -- and contradicting their earlier advice.
The TTC, the country's single largest escalator owner, has removed all of the signs that used to read: "Stand right, walk left," The Globe and Mail reported.
The commission said walking on the moving steps is a safety hazard -- Technical Standards & Safety Authority employees noticed the posters in a station.
The provincial body brought the sighting up in one of their regular meetings with the transit agency, and recommended removal because they condoned people walking on escalators.
Officials in Toronto acknowledge that walking on the left has become part of the culture and that they are powerless to control those who tempt fate and insist on walking up escalators, The Globe reported.
Steppers won't be fined or reprimanded by authorities, but the TTC encourages escalator riders to 'move with the grooves'.
Here are the official TTC escalator safety pointers:
- Step on and off carefully;
- Hold the handrail;
- Carry parcels -- do not rest them on handrails;
- Don't rush other passengers; and
- If travelling with a mobility device or using a stroller, use elevators.
