• Source:JND

After a series of fatal fires, which reportedly claimed around 145 lives in the last six months, the central government has tightened the safety norms around the manufacturing of sleeper buses. According to the new and stricter rules announced by the Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, sleeper buses can now be built only by automobile companies or manufacturers accredited by the Central government. As per the new framework, no uncertified or manual body builders will be permitted to construct sleeper buses.

It has also been ordered that safety measures be bolstered in existing sleeper buses. These include fire detection systems, emergency lighting, driver drowsiness alert systems (ADAS), emergency exits, and safety hammers.

Gadkari revealed that an investigation into the recent bus fires exposed inferior safety measures and lapses. These included flammable interior materials, blocked exits, missing emergency windows, and the absence of basic fire safety equipment.

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What Is The New Safety Framework

The new safety norms make it mandatory for all sleeper buses to comply with the AIS-052 Bus Body Code as well as the revised Bus Body Code, which came into force on September 1, 2025.

The AIS-052 (Automotive Industry Standard-052), which is India’s official safety and design code for buses, lays down mandatory safety, construction, and structural standards for bus bodies. Both factory-built and coach-built buses are supposed to follow these standards before the bus can be registered and operated on roads.

As per the government, the measures are aimed at preventing future tragedies by improving safety measures in sleeper buses.

 

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Karnataka Sleeper Bus Fire Claims 10 Lives

Recently, a deadly bus fire occurred in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district after a truck rammed into a sleeper bus. The accident claimed as many as 10 lives as eyewitnesses and survivors recalled the horrific accident claimed that they tried opening the door, but it didn’t open.

The collision caused a massive fire that engulfed the bus. While some passengers managed to escape, others were trapped inside, resulting in their tragic deaths.


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