Centre tightens norms for sleeper buses after fatal accidents: Here are the new rules
The Union government has come up with new norms for sleeper buses in India, following several fatal fires in these vehicles in recent times. The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari said that the government had decided that only automobile manufacturing companies and some firms selected by the Centre, will be allowed to build sleeper buses. They also put in place safety norms which all sleeper buses must comply to, if they want permits to run on the roads.
New Delhi: The Central government has set some new rules for the sleeper buses, following several accidents involving the vehicle in recent months. Several fires have been reported in sleeper buses in recent times and they have caused at least 145 deaths in the past 6 months.
Who can build sleeper buses?
Union Road Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari announced that sleeper buses can now only be built by automobile manufacturers, or those companies and firms which are accredited by the Central government. This new rule does not permit local and manual body builders to manufacture sleeper buses.
Apart from norms about manufacturing new buses, the government has also made it compulsory for all current sleeper buses to be redesigned with new safety features. These include fire detection systems, emergency lighting, driver drowsiness alert systems (ADAS), emergency exits, and safety hammers.
Gadkari said that the investigations into the recent bus fires in sleeper buses revealed several safety lapses. He was quoted by India Today as saying that these buses had flammable interior materials, blocked exits, missing emergency windows, and the absence of basic fire safety equipment.
Revised norms for building buses - What is the Bus Body Code?
The revised norms say that all buses must comply with the AIS-052 Bus Body Code as well as the revised Bus Body Code, which came into force on September 1, 2025. This code lays down the norms for basic design of the buses and calls for mandatory safety norms which must be followed in manufacturing the vehicles. All buses must be built according to the norms prescribed by the AIS-052 Bus Body Code, only then can they get permits and clearance to operate on the roads.
The standard for bus manufacturers is issued by the Union Transport and Highways Ministry, and comes under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR).
These measures are being taken to prevent future tragedies and allow passengers to take a comfortable trip in sleeper buses.