UP Lift and Escalator Act: Registration delay to incur heavy fines, says DM

GREATER NOIDA: The Gautam Budh Nagar administration on Tuesday announced strict regulations for lift and escalator safety under the new Uttar Pradesh Lift and Escalator Act 2024 and accompanying Rules that mandate all existing lift and escalator owners to register their equipment.

At a meeting held on Tuesday, officials outlined substantial fines and possible shutdowns for owners who failed to register their lifts and escalators within specified deadlines.

“Ensuring the safety and proper maintenance of lifts and escalators in high-rise buildings, malls, and offices is our top priority. Through the UP Lift and Escalator Act, we are committed to enforcing stringent compliance. Owners who delay registration or neglect safety measures will face significant penalties, including potential shutdowns,” said Manish Kumar Verma, the district magistrate.

“These regulations are essential for public safety, and regular oversight will help maintain accountability across all operators in the district,” he added.

Officials said that the Act’s Section 10 specifies that lifts and escalators already in use across the state must complete the registration process within six months of the Act’s implementation. If operators miss this deadline, they will face progressively increasing fines.

Officials said as per new guidelines, a delay of up to seven days incurs a penalty of ₹100 per day. Delay extending from 7 to 15 days will result in a fine of ₹200 per day for the entire period and a delay of 15 to 30 days will attract ₹500 daily fine.

In cases where the delay exceeds 30 days, authorities are empowered to immediately shut down the lift or escalator in question, with an additional fine of ₹10,000. Reoperation will only be allowed upon compliance with all regulatory requirements and payment of the full penalty, they added.

To be sure, the implementation of the Uttar Pradesh Lift and Escalator Rules, 2024, came into effect on September 25, 2024.

Additionally, the Act requires lift and escalator operators to maintain a logbook documenting any accidents. The logbook, as per Rule 9, must be kept up to date and made available to the district committee upon request for oversight purposes, said officials.

“These measures are crucial to hold operators accountable and safeguard residents and visitors across all facilities,” the DM said.

Earlier this month, the DM had formed a five-member safety committee to monitor and review safety and functioning of lifts, escalators in high-rise buildings in Gautam Budh Nagar.

The committee is tasked to conduct routine inspections, monitoring safety compliance, and submitting quarterly reports on lift and escalator conditions across societies, malls, and commercial facilities, officials said.