By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul City will change the walking direction of subway stations to lead citizens to walk right, instead of long-time habit of left, from October.
Directional signs of the escalators, moving walkways and subway stations will be changed this month.
The city will change directions of 1,109 escalators in 163 stations out of total 1,523 escalators in 203 stations and 20 moving walks in six stations of 24 in eight stations. It will also revise the directions in 52 transfer stations to encourage walking right.
The city will also start a campaign for walking right through in-train broadcasting and display boards. On the first day, helper will guide subway users to keep right.
"Subway station is one of the most crowded public places and introducing the walking right culture at the stations will help changing the walking directions," a city official said. "However, the most important thing is for citizens to change the habit and we expect voluntary participation of citizens in changing walking direction.''
The government is trying to change the old walking habit for several reasons. First, as the traffic is driving right, pedestrians should walk right as well but walking left was introduced in 1921 under the Japanese colonial rule.
Secondly, most Koreans are right-handed and walking right is more convenient for those people. Currently, entrance of airports, revolving doors and pedestrian crossings are operated for walking right.
The Korea Transport Institute says psychological burden will be reduced 13-18 percent when walk right. It also expects the switch to increase walking speed 1.2-1.7 fold, reduce pedestrian collisions 7-24 percent and pedestrian density 19-58 percent.
"It is unreasonable to encourage walk left when cars drive right," said a researcher of the institute. According to the institute, traffic accidents involving pedestrians will be reduced about 20 percent when they walk facing the oncoming vehicular traffic.