How to Choose a Passenger Lift: Capacity, Speed & Size Guide

To choose a passenger lift, start with passenger lift capacity: how many people need to travel at the busiest time. Then pick a speed that suits the number of floors, and a cabin and door size that fits your shaft. In India, capacity is rated at 68 kg per person, so an 8-person lift carries 544 kg. Get these three right and the rest (drive, doors, finishes) follows easily.

This guide walks you through each decision with simple tables and a checklist you can take to your lift supplier.

Step 1: Understand your building's traffic

Lift engineers use a method called traffic analysis. The idea is simple. Estimate how many people will want the lift in the busiest five minutes, and make sure the lifts can carry them without long waits. Three questions matter most:

• How many people use the building? Count flats and residents, or office staff, or hospital beds and visitors.
• When is peak time? Offices peak in the morning. Apartments peak in the morning and evening. Hospitals are busy all day.
• How long is an acceptable wait? Residents may accept a longer wait than office workers or hospital staff.

Two results come out of this: handling capacity (how many people the lifts can move in five minutes) and waiting interval (how often a lift arrives). A larger building often needs two smaller lifts rather than one big one. Two lifts also mean the building is not stranded when one is under service.

For a small G+3 or G+4 residential block, one lift is often enough. For offices, hospitals, hotels and larger apartment complexes, ask your supplier for a proper traffic calculation.

Step 2: Choose passenger lift capacity

In India, passenger lift capacity is expressed in persons and in kilograms, with each person counted as 68 kg. The table shows common ratings.

Hospitals need special bed lifts with deep cabins for stretchers and trolleys. See our hospital lift requirements guide for bed lift sizes. For private homes, compact home lifts are often a better fit.

A simple worked example

Take a G+6 apartment block in Patna with four flats per floor, so 24 flats above the ground floor. Assume four to five people per flat. That is roughly 100 to 120 residents. In the morning rush, many of them leave for work and school within the same half hour. One 6-person lift would mean long waits and crowded trips. An 8-person lift is a more comfortable choice, and if the budget and shaft allow, two lifts give much better service and a backup when one is under maintenance.

Now take a G+3 clinic in Sasaram with modest daily visitors. A single 6- or 8-person lift may be enough for patients and staff, plus a separate bed lift if patients are moved on stretchers. The numbers are different, but the method is the same: count the people, find the peak and choose the capacity to match.

Tips on capacity

• Plan for wheelchairs. A cabin that fits a wheelchair and a companion is useful in any public building.
• Think about furniture and luggage in apartments and hotels. A deeper cabin helps.
• Do not oversize without reason. A larger car needs a larger shaft, a bigger motor and costs more.

Step 3: Choose the right speed

Speed depends mainly on how many floors the lift serves. A very fast lift in a short building never reaches its top speed, so you pay for performance you cannot use. The table below shows typical starting points. Your final choice should come from the traffic calculation.

Most buildings in Sasaram, Patna, Varanasi and Bhagalpur fall in the first two rows. A well-tuned 1 m/s lift with smooth V3F control feels better than a faster lift with a rough start.

Step 4: Check shaft, pit and headroom

The shaft size decides the largest cabin you can fit. Your supplier will also check pit depth and overhead height. If you are building new, involve the lift company early so the architect plans the right shaft. If the building already exists, the survey will show what fits. Space is also the main reason to consider a machine-room-less lift. Our MRL vs machine room elevator guide explains the trade-offs.

Machine room or machine-room-less?

A traditional traction lift needs a machine room above the shaft. A machine-room-less (MRL) lift fits the motor inside the shaft and saves roof space. In older buildings where adding a room on the roof is difficult, MRL is often the answer. In new buildings, both options work and the choice comes down to space, access for maintenance and budget.

Step 5: Choose the door type

• Automatic centre-opening doors: two panels open from the middle. Fast and good for busy buildings.
• Automatic side-opening (telescopic) doors: panels slide to one side. Useful where the shaft is narrow or you need a wide opening, such as bed lifts.
• Manual swing or collapsible doors: lower cost, but slower and less convenient. Collapsible doors are now mostly seen on goods lifts.

For passenger lifts, automatic doors with a light curtain are the safe and modern choice. The light curtain reopens the doors if anyone is in the way.

Step 6: Choose the drive and controls

A traction lift with a V3F (variable-voltage, variable-frequency) drive is the standard for passenger lifts today. It gives smooth starts and stops, accurate floor levelling and lower energy use than older drives. Hydraulic passenger lifts are used in some low-rise buildings. Read hydraulic vs traction elevators for a full comparison.

Safety features to insist on:

• ARD (automatic rescue device) for power cuts
• Overload sensor with voice or buzzer warning
• Intercom, alarm bell and emergency light
• Door light curtain
• Compliance with IS 17900, which BIS made mandatory for new installations from 22 December 2025

Step 7: Choose cabin finishes

Finishes change the look and the upkeep. Common options:

• Hairline stainless steel: durable, easy to clean and hides small scratches. Good for hospitals and offices.
• Mirror or etched stainless steel: looks premium in hotels and apartments.
• Painted or powder-coated steel: lower cost, suitable for simple buildings.
• Glass panels: for a modern look, or go fully glass with a capsule elevator.
• Flooring: granite, vinyl or anti-skid options. Pick something that is easy to clean.

Add LED lighting, a fan, a handrail and clear button panels with Braille where possible.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing on price alone. A cheaper lift with weak after-sales support costs more over its life.
• Undersizing the cabin. A lift that cannot take a wheelchair, a stretcher or a sofa causes daily problems.
• Paying for speed you cannot use. In a low-rise building, extra speed adds cost but saves almost no time.
• Planning the shaft too late. Changing a shaft after construction is costly. Involve your lift supplier at the design stage.
• Skipping the AMC. Regular maintenance keeps the lift safe and protects your investment.

Passenger lift buying checklist

1. Estimate peak users and decide the number of lifts.
2. Pick capacity in persons and kg (68 kg per person).
3. Pick speed based on floors and traffic.
4. Confirm shaft size, pit depth and headroom with a site survey.
5. Choose automatic doors with a light curtain.
6. Choose a V3F traction drive and confirm ARD and IS 17900 compliance.
7. Select durable, easy-clean finishes.
8. Ask about warranty, AMC and response time for breakdowns.

For indicative prices and what drives them, see our lift price in India guide.

Why choose Eldeal Engineers

Eldeal Engineers supplies, installs and maintains passenger elevators across Bihar, Eastern UP and Delhi NCR. We have offices in Sasaram, Patna, Varanasi and Bhagalpur. Our lifts are design-tested, use V3F drives and come with ARD, overload sensors, intercom, light curtains and emergency lights. We inspect every stage of installation and offer 24/7 support. Our advice is clear, our quotes are transparent, and we size the lift for your building, not for a bigger bill.

Planning a passenger lift? Book a free site survey. We will measure your shaft, study your building's use and recommend the right capacity, speed and finish with a clear quote. Call or WhatsApp +91 84489 44342.