Centre to review sleeper bus safety after rise in fire incidents

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Road Transport is preparing to hold stakeholder meetings soon to improve safety features in sleeper buses, following a rise in incidents of such vehicles catching fire.

“We will soon hold discussions with stakeholders, including bus manufacturers and body builders. We want to further improve safety mechanisms in sleeper buses after taking their inputs,” Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary V Umashankar told reporters here.

The new Bus Body Code came into effect in India on September 1, mandating stricter safety standards for buses. The code includes new rules on fire safety systems, emergency exits, and limits on noise and vibration.

“Mainly, the Ministry is looking at three issues — the bus body and its engine, road defaults, and vehicle inspection standards,” he said.”

He also pointed out that lapses in issuing fitness certificates by Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the states are among the reasons many buses escape stricter scrutiny regarding safety features. However, he said the Ministry has been pushing states to adopt more automatic fitness-testing systems to reduce human interference.

He ruled out any proposal to ban sleeper buses.