NHRC flags deadly bus design flaws, seeks crackdown on unsafe public transport

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a stern letter to the chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, sounding the alarm over potentially lethal design flaws in public transport buses and systemic lapses in vehicle approval processes. The move comes in response to a complaint linked to the tragic sleeper bus fire on 14 October 2025, along the Jaisalmer–Jodhpur highway in Rajasthan.

An inspection by the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) revealed violations of mandatory AIS-052 and AIS-119 safety standards, including the absence of fire suppression systems and poorly designed internal partitions. The NHRC noted that certain buses feature completely segregated driver cabins, which prevent timely detection of fires and hinder communication during emergencies — a flaw that has led to repeated, preventable tragedies on Indian roads.

The complainant emphasized that such unsafe designs infringe upon the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, pointing to systemic negligence by bus manufacturers and approving authorities. Urgent intervention, they argued, is needed to mandate design improvements, enforce accountability, and provide compensation to victims and their families.

In its letter, the NHRC has directed the Registry to issue notices to the secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the director of the Central Institute of Road Transport, Pune, instructing them to conduct a thorough enquiry and submit an Action Taken Report within two weeks.

Further, the commission has called for nationwide enforcement of safety norms, state-level recalls of all non-compliant buses, and criminal investigations into negligence by approving officials. It has also urged the creation of robust compensation mechanisms for victims, in a bid to prevent recurrence of such tragedies.

AIS-052 and AIS-119, formulated by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, set out structural and fire safety standards for buses across the country. The NHRC’s intervention underscores the imperative of safeguarding passenger lives against design oversights that have proven fatally costly.

With IANS inputs