THE Mid-Levels escalator is a success, according to the Transport Department, but officials are still refusing to publish a detailed study into its use which was completed four months ago.
Figures show 30,000 people a day are using the $230 million, 800-metre escalator, which opened last October.
Earlier this year, the number of users was put at 20,000 but by March the figure had risen to 24,000. The numbers now fit in with original estimates.
The Transport Department conducted a detailed study into the escalator's use four months ago to try to ascertain the impact it had on traffic in Mid-Levels.
Since it opened last year, there have been more than 200 stoppages, caused by breakdowns and maintenance work. Some recent stoppages were caused by builders transporting materials, causing the escalator to overload, a Transport Department spokesman said. He said breakdowns had been minimised.
The escalator, which has 20 sections and runs from Central to Conduit Road in Mid-Levels, costs $4.4 million a year to run.
