Faulty escalators have been blamed for several accidents lately, with one even taking a mother's life. (Photo : YouTube)
The Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of China called for the review of aging escalators and elevators across the country amid news of various safety hazards.
Public concern about elevator and escalator-related accidents have increased recently, as a woman in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, was reported to have been killed by an escalator after falling through a gap.
According to data collected by AQSIQ, five out 100 elevators and escalators in the country have been found to be defective. 79,000 out of 111,000 faulty elevators in China have already been repaired. For the second half of 2015, AQSIQ will focus on the supervision of the transport devices.
A spokesperson from the organization also stated that most of the elevators built after 2003 pose bigger safety concerns, as these elevators are nearing the end of their service life.
Safety hazards can be avoided if the transport devices are regularly maintained, but maintenance is a major problem when it comes to elevators and escalators, partly because of price competition.
"What's most troubling is that it's not clear who are responsible for aging elevators in a residential property. There's no money available to repair them," the AQSIQ spokesperson said.
As a result, AQSIQ now requires manufacturers to provide maintenance services. Meanwhile, elevator maintenance firms must foster a transparent and competitive environment.
Emergency hotlines and barriers of entry for companies involved in the elevator industry will also be promoted and revised by the quality watchdog.
The number of escalators and elevators in the country has increased by 20 percent every year, and is expected to rise, thanks to the continued urbanization in different parts of the country. Accident rates, on the other hand, have dropped due to newer equipment, but casualties have remained the same since 2003.
Further, 21 out of 49 recorded accidents last year were caused by passenger misuse, while eight were blamed on equipment failure.
