Certified makers allowed: Centre tightens norms for sleeper buses after fatal fires

Key Highlights

• Gadkari said investigations into recent fire incidents revealed serious safety lapses in many sleeper coaches.
• These included flammable interior materials, blocked exits, missing emergency windows, and the absence of basic fire safety equipment. As per the new norms, all sleeper 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. The AIS-052 (Automotive Industry Standard-052) is India’s official safety and design code for bus bodies.
• It lays down mandatory construction, safety, and structural standards that every bus body—factory-built or coach-built—must follow before the bus can be registered and operated on roads. The standard is issued under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The government said the measures are aimed at preventing future tragedies and significantly improving passenger safety on long-distance sleeper coach services.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Jan 9, 2026Watch Live TV.