Because of accidents, East Japan Railway is asking commuters to stop walking or running up and down escalators. Serious accidents in the JR East area have reached 250 a year, or roughly one for every working day of the year. Many more accidents, however, go unreported. The increasing number of accidents inside train and subway stations has been attributed mainly to passengers walking or running on escalators.

Despite the fact that "Don't walk" stickers have been placed near all 1,770 escalators at stations in the JR East area, most commuters seem unaware of the new request from JR East. The practice of lining up on the left side of escalators to allow people who want to walk to pass on the right is still widespread. Many people can be still seen rushing up and down escalators on the right side. This must be halted and the best way to do so would be to stop the practice of treating the right side as a "passing lane." People should be encouraged to stand on both sides of the escalator.

Changing such an ingrained pattern of behavior will need more than small warning signs. It will also require combined effort, such as encouraging passengers to hold the handrails, something that Tokyo Metro does, although it has yet to join the ban on walking on escalators.