Bengaluru: In the wake of repeated fire incidents involving sleeper and semi-sleeper buses in Karnataka, the state govt has set the end of Feb as the deadline for private operators to comply with enhanced safety norms.Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy told TOI that strict instructions have been issued to bus operators and body builders to adhere to prescribed standards to ensure passenger safety.As part of the measures, the transport department has directed the removal of partition doors behind the driver’s cabin, as such barriers have hampered passenger evacuation through the front exit during fire accidents. The use of sliders for berths in air-conditioned sleeper buses has also been banned. In several private buses, manual sliders were installed in place of curtains, posing additional safety risks during emergencies.The department has further made it mandatory for all sleeper buses to be equipped with fire extinguishers. Bus bodies built in violation of rules—such as through illegal chassis extension—have also been prohibited. Reddy said operators have time until Feb 28 to comply with the new safety requirements, failing which enforcement officials will initiate strict action.“These guidelines have been issued in line with directions from the National Human Rights Commission, which instructed all state govts to strictly implement the safety study report of the Central Institute of Road Transport,” the minister said.He added that fitness certificates will not be issued to sleeper buses that fail to meet the revised safety norms, signalling zero tolerance for non-compliance.
