NHRC seeks urgent action on unsafe sleeper buses

Public transport safety has once again drawn national attention as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) initiated action on unsafe sleeper coaches across India.

The move follows recurring incidents of passenger buses catching fire mid-journey, which caused avoidable deaths.

The NHRC acted on a detailed complaint highlighting a critical and widespread design flaw.

The complainant alleged that several buses have a fully sealed partition between the driver’s cabin and the passenger area.

This design blocks early detection of fires and delays communication during emergencies.

Consequently, passengers remain trapped, and the risk to life increases. The complaint argued that such negligence violates the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

It also pointed to systemic lapses by bus manufacturers and approving authorities.

Therefore, it sought immediate safety reforms, accountability, and compensation for victims and families, including financial relief.

Taking cognisance under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, a Bench led by Member Priyank Kanoongo issued notices to key authorities.

The NHRC directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) to investigate the allegations and file an Action Taken Report within two weeks.

In response, CIRT submitted its report after beginning a technical investigation on October 18, 2025.

The institute confirmed major violations of safety standards under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR).

It also communicated these findings to the Rajasthan Transport Department. Moreover, the report underlined that MoRTH has already notified essential safety norms.

These include AIS:052 for bus body structure and AIS:119 for sleeper coaches. Notably, driver partition doors are prohibited under AIS:119.

The standard also mandates a minimum of four or five emergency exits, depending on the bus length.

Furthermore, Fire Detection and Suppression Systems have been compulsory since 2019.

The NHRC directions now push states to remove all non-compliant sleeper buses.

This step aims to prevent further tragedies and ensure stronger safety enforcement across the transport sector.

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