With many of the escalators down at Mexico City Metro stations, how do commuters with mobility problems negotiate the stairs?

With the help of subway system staff, of course.

Fifty Metro employees have been deployed to assist subway passengers who find it difficult to climb the stairs on their own.

As much needed maintenance work in 70 or so escalators in stations of the Mexico City subway system continues, 50 workers have been deployed to aid users

The service will be provided while maintenance is carried out on escalators in eight stations on the subway’s Line 7.

Metro officials explained that the service is aimed at senior citizens, disabled users and pregnant women who use the escalators on a daily basis. In some cases, workers are carrying subway users all the way to a station’s entrance.

Earlier this week, the transit operator said 74 escalators are being checked and will be shut down until they are deemed safe to operate, a process that could take until next week.

Line 7 is the most affected, with escalators in 10 of its 14 stations not operating. Two more stations are affected on Lines 3 and 8.

Maintenance work is focusing on an aging escalators that on which about 10 people were injured in the past month.

Source: Reforma (sp)