Dangerous stop: escalators in Russia may stop on September 1

From September 1, escalators and travelators in shopping malls, as well as in social and medical institutions may stop due to the inability to undergo a technical inspection. Experts suggest solving the problem by certification according to the old rules. What will happen if the technical means do not receive a new certificate is in the Izvestia article.

What is known about possible escalator stops

In Russia, on September 1, all inspections for escalators and travelators expire, with the exception of equipment in the subway. At the same time, there is no one to issue new documents: the current certification system for organizations conducting the survey was canceled in the fall of 2024, and another one has not yet appeared, the Union of Shopping Centers of Russia (UTS) explained to REN TV.

At the same time, escalators and travelators must undergo a technical inspection annually. According to Pavel Lyulin, Vice-president of the Union, Doctor of Economics, legally, the operation of escalators and travelators from September 1 in both shopping malls and medical centers becomes impossible, the owners must stop them.

— New rules have been introduced for the accreditation of companies that conduct inspections. And it turns out that since September 1 last year, the old expert organizations that did this have ceased to operate, and the validity period of the documents issued by them expires before September 2025," he explained in a comment to REN TV.

At the moment, the business has found itself in a legal impasse: shopping malls are required, but cannot pass inspections, since there are no accredited organizations in the country, the CTC clarifies in its appeal to Rostechnadzor. On August 21, the Union sent a letter to the agency asking for explanations to the territorial administrations and market participants about the possibility and legitimacy of operating escalators and travelators after September 1, 2025.

Today in Russia, according to the National Elevator Union, about 12 thousand escalators and travelators and 10 thousand lifting platforms for the disabled are operated in total.

What will help escalators work?

Experts believe that the problem can be solved if the business is inspected according to the old rules. Pavel Lyulin noted that Rostechnadzor had already voiced such an initiative: it had passed public hearings, but its status was still unclear.

The most important thing is that the CTC is asked to explain what the business should do from September 1, as the equipment is there and it is working.

"Many responsible shopping malls, at their own risk, are already carrying out maintenance and inspections by the same organizations that were contacted earlier and which, according to the documents, are now unable to do this, although they own all the necessary equipment," the expert explained. At the same time, the responsibility in this case remains on the mall, and there is still no unified approach.

Mikhail Safonov, Director of Development at NF PM, suggests setting a transition period until September 1, 2027. At this time, according to him, the equipment inspection can be carried out according to the old rules, and Rostechnadzor will be able to create new ones. Companies that have done this before can certify lifting devices, Safonov says. In his opinion, this approach will help to remove the actual risks, ensuring the safety of visitors.

Artem Kozlov, Deputy General Director of the Pulse Elevator plant, also believes that it is possible to extend the validity period of previous certificates for equipment.

Dmitry Arestov, Project Manager of the Engineering Practice at Strategy Partners, argues that it is necessary to speed up the creation and publication of a register of accredited laboratories so that organizations can officially carry out maintenance.

The risks of this situation, according to Pavel Lyulin, are that negligent shopping center owners may simply stop conducting technical checks, because there is no legal way to do this.

— Escalator incident risks are increasing. Unfortunately, in these incidents, children who do not follow the rules of operation most often suffer: they put their feet close to the parapet or do not hold onto the escalators properly," the expert noted.

Businesses will lose significant amounts, as the availability and attendance of stores will decrease with each floor.

— I think that the third and fourth floors may not be reached at all, — Pavel Lyulin explained.