Keep travelers moving smoothly through your facility. In a public transport setting, elevators and escalators take a beating. And they have to be able to withstand it. When they’re out of service, people get frustrated, fast. In this piece we look at how to make sure your public transport elevators are up for the job.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if elevator and escalator equipment could run all day, every day without any maintenance or repairs? It would, but that’s not the real world. Sooner or later your public transport elevators will need to be upgraded.
This article has all the information you need to plan for your elevator modernization, including:
Have you ever arrived at an airport or train station and discovered the elevator is out of service? You probably just took the stairs instead. But imagine you’re dragging two massive suitcases or pushing a stroller and trying to manage unruly children at the same time. Now things are not so simple.
In a public transport setting, elevators and escalators help people get to their destination without delay or distress. Just one small hiccup can cause overcrowding and missed connections, creating frustrations that your employees now need to manage. But with near constant use, breakdowns are hard to avoid.
Thankfully there are answers to this problem. To keep everything working properly and passengers moving smoothly through your facility, the first step is to understand the condition of your equipment.
The lifespan of most elevator equipment is 25-30 years. But due to the heavy use, and, in some cases, exposure to the elements, the lifespan of public transport elevators is often reduced to less than 20 years.
This, combined with ageing infrastructure, means that many elevators and escalators are due for modernization. In the US, for example, airports are on average around 40 years old.
So how do you know if your equipment is due for an overhaul? Well, if you answer yes to any of the following questions, you should be considering a modernization.
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you should seriously consider planning a modernization of your equipment.
If you do need to modernize, the next step is to plan the work. Complete replacement might be the best solution for older equipment. But, for newer elevators, it’s possible you won’t need to replace all the components at the same time. A good place to start is with the components get the most use, such as:
Including landing doors, car doors and door sills.
Doors are always in use and they’re more prone to damage. Luggage carts, suitcases, bikes, etc. regularly hit the door sill as they’re brought into the elevator, leaving scratches and marks. Glass doors should also be considered to ensure the safety of the passengers riding in the elevator.
It’s important to make sure the walls and floors of your cars are extremely durable. Stainless steel is the standard, tough choice. But some damage is unavoidable because when people use public transports elevators, they’re often moving large, or heavy items.
You need to make sure that the fixtures meet all relevant accessibility codes so that everyone can use the elevators easily. Vandal resistant fixtures are also available to reduce damage from abuse and heavy use.
Next, let’s look at how you can use data to improve your operations and make it easier for the user to navigate through your facility.
Life is messy. Things happen. Equipment is out for service, inspection, or modernization. It would be unwise to assume that your equipment will run smoothly 100% of the time. But, when an elevator or escalator isn’t running, it’s important to know as soon as possible and share this information with travelers that rely on this equipment.
With a controller modernization, it is possible to track the performance of your equipment. Schindler Ahead services, like the Schindler Ahead ActionBoard, allows you to monitor the status of your equipment in real-time, from anywhere.
You can also share the status of the elevator with travelers directly. With Schindler CoLab, your developers can add elevators status information to your existing apps so travelers are fully aware of any disruption to the equipment and can plan their route accordingly.
Digitalizing your elevator or escalator with a new controller also offers improved performance, better ride quality and more efficient elevator service.
Another way to communicate with passengers is in the elevator itself. Schindler Digital Media Services can add screens to your equipment to share important information, such as delays, and track or gate changes.
Schindler DoorShow, on the other hand, projects content directly on to the outside of elevator doors. So, you can communicate with people who are simply passing by the elevators, turning this unused space into an eye-catching infotainment center.
The COVID pandemic highlighted the risk of sharing an enclosed space with strangers. In crowded transport hubs with people arriving from all over the world, the risk is even higher. Social distancing became the norm, but keeping your distance is hard in an elevator.
To respond to the crisis and help keep elevator equipment clean and safe, we introduced Schindler CleanMobility. The two most important features of this product are, firstly, UV lights that sterilize elevator car surfaces and the air in the elevator. And, secondly, sensor technology and QR-codes that allow passengers to call the elevator without physically pushing a button.
People take elevators and escalators for granted, especially in a public transport setting. But when things go wrong, it can create a massive headache for your passengers. It’s your job to keep equipment running smoothly and reduce the risk of downtime. By following these tips and speaking to us about any potential modernization, you can make sure travelers get to their destination with minimal fuss.
Don’t leave your elevators or escalators in the past. Modernize with Schindler.