NHRC seeks report on removal of unsafe sleeper buses
HYDERABAD: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought action-taken reports from states on the removal and rectification of unsafe sleeper coach buses, warning of strict accountability for failure to enforce mandatory safety standards.
Government officials said time was running out for private bus owners and operators to implement prescribed safety norms, failing which sleeper coaches could be removed from roads. The NHRC has scheduled a hearing on January 20 to review compliance.
According to officials, more than 1,000 private sleeper coaches operate from Hyderabad. While official figures are unavailable, sources said only about 100 of these buses are registered in Telangana, with the rest registered in other states.
“If the safety norms, based on the Central Institute of Road Transport’s findings cited by the NHRC, are applied strictly, almost every bus will have one violation or another and will have to go off the roads unless rectifications are made,” a senior official told reporter.
State responses and enforcement limits
The NHRC issued notices on January 5 to chief secretaries of all states, directing them to submit action-taken reports (ATR) on safety compliance. States failing to do so have been asked to appear before the commission on January 20.
The Telangana government has submitted its ATR, detailing notices issued to owners of buses registered in the state on issues raised by the commission in November. “We expect responses from bus owners in the next few days, following which further steps will be taken,” an official said.
Officials said immediate action against buses registered outside Telangana may be difficult if they possess valid clearances from the respective state road transport authorities. “The NHRC is likely to take note of this once reports from all states are received and may issue fresh directions on out-of-state registered vehicles,” the official added.
CIRT recommendations cited by NHRC
The NHRC has relied on recommendations of the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), which include recalling all sleeper coaches to remove driver partition doors, withdrawing buses with extended chassis bodies from operations, removing sliders fitted to sleeper berths, and mandating installation of fire detection and suppression systems within one month.
Other requirements include registration only with Form 22/22A approved by authorised test agencies, submission of detailed layout drawings showing dimensions and emergency exits, and verification of bus body builders’ accreditation at the time of registration.
Directions to states and Centre
In its January 5 order, the NHRC reiterated that chief secretaries would be held responsible for statewide implementation of all CIRT recommendations, including recall and rectification of sleeper coaches. The commission also directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to issue advisories to states and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance with AIS:052 and AIS:119 standards during registration, renewal and inspection of buses.
The commission said failure to enforce mandatory safety standards posed a “serious threat to public safety” and called for immediate corrective measures and system-wide reforms.
నిద్రా బస్సుల భద్రతా ప్రమాణాల అమలుపై జాతీయ మానవ హక్కుల కమిషన్ (NHRC) రాష్ట్రాల నుంచి నివేదికలు కోరింది. భద్రతా నిబంధనలు పాటించని స్లీపర్ బస్సులను రోడ్లపై నుంచి తొలగించే అవకాశం ఉందని హెచ్చరించింది. జనవరి 20న ఈ అంశంపై విచారణ జరగనుంది.#NHRC #RoadSafety #SleeperBuses #Hyderabad… pic.twitter.com/Je2xfMpIC6
— TeluguPost (@telugu_post9) January 17, 2026
Background of fatal fires
The NHRC’s intervention followed a bus fire in Rajasthan on October 14 last year that killed 20 people. The commission noted subsequent fatal incidents, including a fire on October 20 involving a Bengaluru-bound sleeper bus from Hyderabad that caught fire after running over a motorcycle on a highway in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, killing 20 passengers.
