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Government Tightens Rules For Sleeper Buses: Only Certified Manufacturers Allowed To Build New Buses
The Indian Government has issued a notification regarding stricter manufacturing and safety regulations for sleeper coach buses, limiting their construction to government-certified automobile and bus body manufacturers, following a series of fatal fire accidents involving long-distance sleeper coaches.
The tightening of regulations comes amid increased scrutiny of sleeper bus safety following a spate of fire-related accidents, prompting the Centre to accelerate enforcement of stricter construction, certification and operational compliance norms for sleeper buses.
The new norms have been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which has barred local and non-certified body builders from manufacturing sleeper buses. Under the revised framework, sleeper coaches can now be built only by automobile manufacturers or body builders accredited by the central government.
According to the notification, the move follows investigations into multiple sleeper bus fire incidents across different states, which together claimed over 145 lives in the last six months. The probe findings pointed to serious lapses in design, construction quality, and fire safety preparedness in several sleeper coaches involved in these accidents.
The Centre has also directed that all existing sleeper buses currently in operation must undergo mandatory retrofitting to meet the updated safety standards. These buses will be required to install fire detection systems, emergency lighting, clearly marked emergency exits, safety hammers, and other evacuation aids to improve passenger survivability in the event of an emergency.
In addition to fire safety measures, sleeper coaches will now be required to feature advanced driver assistance systems, including driver drowsiness alert mechanisms, aimed at reducing fatigue-related accidents during overnight travel.
Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said investigations revealed multiple design deficiencies in sleeper buses involved in recent fires. These included the use of highly flammable interior materials, blocked or undersized emergency exits, poor ventilation, and the absence of basic fire-fighting equipment.
The updated rules mandate compliance with the AIS-052 Bus Body Code, along with the revised bus body safety standards that came into effect on September 1, 2025. AIS-052 lays down mandatory structural, material and safety requirements for bus bodies before they can be registered and allowed to operate on public roads.
Under the revised regime, certification will be required at the manufacturing stage itself, with sleeper buses undergoing inspection and approval before entering service. Non-compliant sleeper coaches may face cancellation of registration and removal from operation.
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