Government to fund replacement of old elevators in Beijing

Beijing municipal government will subsidize the phase-out of old elevators in high-rises across the city, authorities said on Saturday.

Funding from Beijing Municipal Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision (BMAQTS) will be mainly used to replace elevators with unclear ownership.

Beijing has more than 192,000 elevators, about 26 percent of which are at least 10-years-old and at risk of malfunctioning. Of the total number, about 94,000 elevators are in residential buildings, among which 26,000 are over a decade old.

Chen Hui, deputy director of the safety inspection office of BMAQTS, said at least 3,956 elevators in 2015 were deemed "high risk."

The administration will urge maintenance for these malfunctioning equipment this year, he said.

In 2015, Xicheng district government forked out 23 million yuan (3.5 million U.S. dollars) to replace 60 elevators. The district has earmarked 20 million yuan for elevator repair and replacement this year. Other districts also have similar plans.

Beijing conducts elevator safety checks annually. The number of elevators and escalators has increased by 20 percent every year.