Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTAT!
Constitution Hills, Quezon Ci

SEVENTEENTH (17') CONGRES|
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 5933

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Escalators are used almost in all establishments for
practical purposes especially when the use of elevators is
impractical as when a person would just go up or down to
next floor or next level of the building. The usual
establishments — with escalators are department
stores, shopping malls convention centers, hotels, airport,
transit railway or railroad stations, arenas, stadiums and
other public buildings.

The practicality of escalators in an establishment is
that it has the capacity at a given time to accommodate and
move a large number of people, and they can be placed in
the same physical space as a staircase and it serves as a
normal staircase in the event that it stalls or fails to
function. The riders or users of escalators do not need to
wait as escalators do not have a waiting intervals unlike the
elevators where they become useless when they break down.

Escalators are installed to move people safely
especially when its proper used are observed and followed.
As we all know, most escalator accidents occur due to its
improper use or non-observance of its safety rules. Relative


thereto, educating the riding or using public for the proper
use of an escalator and its safety rules has proven to be an
effective way of reducing accidents in the use of escalators.
Moreover, escalator safety can be best inculcated in the
minds of the riding public when they are made aware of how
to properly ride and used an escalator. Finally, escalator
accidents could be reduced enormously when safety rules
are posted in conspicuous places of an establishment and
they are actively monitored and enforced.

Because of the foregoing, the adoption of this
legislative measure is hereby earnestly proposed.

awe. oN,

ERIC OLIVAREZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (17) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 5933

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L, OLIVAREZ
_———

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE PROPER USE OF
ESCALATORS AND OTHER PURPOSES

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as
the “Proper Use of Escalator Act of 2017”.

Section 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of
this Act, the following terms shall be used under the
definition provided hereof, to wit:

£scalator - An escalator is a vertical transportation
device in the form of a moving staircase - a conveyor which
carries people between floors of a building. It consists of
a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps. These
steps are guided on either side by a pair of tracks which
force them to remain horizontal.

Rider or User — is a person using or riding an escalator.

Handrail —- A handrail is a rail that is designed to be
grasped by the hand by the rider or user so as to provide


stability or support while ascending or descending an
escalator.

Section 3. Proper Use of Escalator. - the proper use
of escalator shall be observed and followed by persons riding
an escalator.

a.) While riding an escalator, a user or rider shall stay
on a stand still at the right portion of the escalator while
holding the handrail at all times unless he/she would want
to walk on the escalator in which case he shall used the left
lane of the escalator as a walkway.

b.) Children shall not be allowed to play around on an
escalator.

c.) Persons with too many and big packages shall not
be allowed to use the escalator.

d.) Persons shall not be allowed to ride or transport
any item on the escalator’s handrail.

e.) Persons shall not be allowed to walk or run up the
down and walk or run down the up escalator,

f). Such other safety rules to be issued by
establishments with an escalator in their building.

Section 4. Posting of Safety Rules. ~ Safety rules
and the proper use of escalator shall be posted in
conspicous places and as much as possible near the
escalators in department stores, shopping malls, airports,
transit systems (railway or railroad stations, convention
centers, hotels, arenas, stadiums, public and private
buildings and other establishments.


Section 5. Monitoring. - The management or
administration division of department stores, shopping
malls, airports, transit systems (railway or railroad stations,
convention centers, hotels, arenas, stadiums, public and
private buildings and other establishments with an
escalator shall ensure a reliable and active monitoring and
enforcement of the proper use of escalators in their
respective buildings.

Section 6. Liablity on accidents occuring while
using the escalators. — Any accident that may occur to any
person while riding or using the escalator shall make the
owner, officers and members of the Board of Directors of the
establishments mentioned in the preceeding section
criminally liable and shall, in addition to their liability for
the damages sustained by the rider or user, be imposed a
fine of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P500,000.00),

Section 7, Implementing Rules and Regulations. —
The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department
of Interior and Local Government in coordination with the
Local Government Units shall issue the implementing
guidelines for the proper implementation of this act.

Section 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential
decrees, letters of instructions, executive orders, rules and
regulations insofar as they are inconsistent with this Act,
are hereby repealed or amended as the case may be.

Section 9, Separability Clause.- In the event that
any provision of this Act or any portion thereof is declared
unconstitutional by a competent court, the other provisions
shall not be affected thereby and shall remain valid and
enforceable.

Section 10. Effectivity Clause. ~— This Act shall take
effect after its complete publication in at least three (3)
newspapers of general circulation.

APPROVED.