Sleeper coach buses to be manufactured by automobile cos, govt-accredited facilities: Gadkari

To curb rising fire accidents, the government has decided that sleeper coach buses will only be manufactured by automobile companies or facilities accredited by the Centre, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.

Existing sleeper coach buses will have to be retrofitted with fire detection systems, emergency exits with hammers, emergency lighting, and driver drowsiness indicators, he added.

In the last six months, six fire accidents involving sleeper coaches were reported, which claimed 145 lives.

The road transport and highways minister, while addressing a press conference here, said that he has written to the Rajasthan government to take action against state transport ministry officials who allowed self-certification to manual bus body builders.

The bus fire incidents highlight the same persistent dangers: flammable interiors, blocked or narrow exits, missing or faulty emergency windows, no fire safety gear, precious little time to escape, and inadequately trained staff.

The bus body code of India is AIS-052, a mandatory standard that specifies safety, structural, and design requirements for all bus bodies built in the country.

The standard was introduced to regulate the previously unorganised bus body-building sector, improve passenger and driver safety, and ensure uniformity in construction.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has already implemented the revised Bus Body Code from September 1, 2025.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)