New Delhi: The Centre has issued an advisory to States and UTs on bus safety standards following recent fatal sleeper bus fires on the Jaisalmer–Jodhpur and Kurnool–Bengaluru routes.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari Ji shared the details in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on February 11. He said the government directed States and UTs to ensure compliance with AIS:052 and AIS:119 during vehicle registration and fitness inspections under Rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
In the Jaisalmer–Jodhpur sleeper coach fire, authorities found several violations of bus safety standards. The bus exceeded the permissible length limit. Moreover, the emergency doors failed to meet minimum dimensional norms. Passenger seats blocked access to the emergency exit. In addition, operators provided only one roof hatch instead of the required two.
Authorities also found a roof luggage carrier fitted with a ladder. Furthermore, the bus had a driver cabin partition. However, it lacked a Fire Detection and Suppression System as required under CMVR, 1989. The Minister said local transport officers should have detected these modifications during vehicle certification.
Sleeper coach violations raise bus safety standards concerns
In the Kurnool–Bengaluru sleeper coach fire, officials noted another irregularity. The registration certificate mentioned only “Seating capacity.” It did not specify sleeper configuration details.
As per official data, 49,616 sleeper coaches were registered in the country as on February 6, 2026. So far, authorities have accredited 886 bus body builders.
The Minister said States and UTs must strictly enforce bus safety standards during registration and periodic inspections. Therefore, transport authorities will need to verify structural compliance and safety equipment before issuing certificates.
