A passenger conveyor controller comprising: a high-speed operation circuit (11, 11d, 17) adapted to connect, in a reconnectable manner, a utility power (R, S, T) for supplying a three-phase AC current of given frequency with a drive motor for driving a passenger conveyor; a low-speed operation circuit (10, 10c, 16) adapted to connect a variable-voltage variable-frequency conversion device (1; VVVF), connected to the utility power (R, S, T), with the drive motor in a reconnectable manner, the conversion device converting the three-phase AC current (R, S, T) of given frequency into a variable-voltage and variable-frequency three-phase AC current; and a changeover switch for changing the speed of the passenger conveyor by means of switching between the high-speed operation circuit (11, 11d, 17) and the low-speed operation circuit (10, 10c, 16); wherein the changeover switch is configured to convert a low-frequency AC current produced by the conversion device into an AC current such that the AC current has substantially the same frequency as that of an AC current produced by the utility power (R, S, T); then configured to open a closed circuit constituted of the drive motor and the conversion device or the utility power (R, S, T), thereby constituting an open circuit; and configured to close an open circuit constituted of the drive motor and the utility power (R, S, T) or the conversion device for switching between the high-speed operation circuit (11, 11d, 17) and the low-speed operation circuit (10, 10c,16) either after lapse of a predetermined period of time during which a residual voltage of the drive motor has dropped to a level wherein switching shock is lessened or when a detected residual voltage of the drive motor has dropped to or below a predetermined level, thereby constituting a closed circuit. a high-speed operation circuit (11, 11d, 17) adapted to connect, in a reconnectable manner, a utility power (R, S, T) for supplying a three-phase AC current of given frequency with a drive motor for driving a passenger conveyor; a low-speed operation circuit (10, 10c, 16) adapted to connect a variable-voltage variable-frequency conversion device (1; VVVF), connected to the utility power (R, S, T), with the drive motor in a reconnectable manner, the conversion device converting the three-phase AC current (R, S, T) of given frequency into a variable-voltage and variable-frequency three-phase AC current; and a changeover switch for changing the speed of the passenger conveyor by means of switching between the high-speed operation circuit (11, 11d, 17) and the low-speed operation circuit (10, 10c, 16); wherein the changeover switch is configured to convert a low-frequency AC current produced by the conversion device into an AC current such that the AC current has substantially the same frequency as that of an AC current produced by the utility power (R, S, T); then configured to open a closed circuit constituted of the drive motor and the conversion device or the utility power (R, S, T), thereby constituting an open circuit; and configured to close an open circuit constituted of the drive motor and the utility power (R, S, T) or the conversion device for switching between the high-speed operation circuit (11, 11d, 17) and the low-speed operation circuit (10, 10c,16) either after lapse of a predetermined period of time during which a residual voltage of the drive motor has dropped to a level wherein switching shock is lessened or when a detected residual voltage of the drive motor has dropped to or below a predetermined level, thereby constituting a closed circuit.