Keeping the rising number of fire accidents involving sleeper buses in India in mind, the government has announced stricter rules to enhance passenger safety. As part of the new measures, local and manual builders will no longer be permitted to construct sleeper buses. Going forward, only automobile companies or government-recognised institutions will be authorised to do so. Scroll down to know more.
India Cracks Down On Sleeper Buses After Recent Fire Cases
On Thursday, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced strict measures around sleeper buses in India. With six major fire incidents reported in the past six months alone, rising safety concerns have prompted the government to mandate that sleeper buses can now be built only by automobile companies or manufacturers accredited by the Central government.
According to India Today, local and manual body builders will no longer be permitted to manufacture sleeper buses. Furthermore, all existing sleeper buses across India will be required to be retrofitted with key safety features, including fire detection systems, emergency lighting, driver drowsiness alert systems (ADAS), emergency exits, and safety hammers.
All sleeper buses will be required to comply with the Automotive Industry Standard-052 (AIS-052) Bus Body Code as well as the revised Bus Body Code, which came into effect on September 1, 2025. This is India’s official safety and design code for all bus bodies. It has listed mandatory construction, safety, and structural standards that bus bodies have to follow before the bus can be registered and operated on roads, India Today reported.
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Six Major Fires In Past Six Months
According to India TV News, six sleeper buses were involved in major fire accidents across India in the past six months alone. These tragic incidents claimed at least 145 lives, underscoring the urgent need for the government to step in and strengthen safety regulations for such vehicles.
Announcing these updated measures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said during a press conference, “Sleeper coaches will be manufactured only by automobile companies. The accreditation of bus facilities will be done by the Central Government. The Central Government has taken this into its own hands so that we will not compromise on this anymore. Existing buses will be retrofitted with fire detection systems, emergency exits with hammers, and emergency lighting.”
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We really hope that these new safety measures will help avoid such unfortunate tragedies in the country!
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@PawanismNetwork & website/bjp.org
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