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A disturbing viral video has sparked outrage online after exposing the shocking safety lapses inside private sleeper buses in India. Marketed as safe and comfortable, these buses have now come under scrutiny for endangering passengers’ lives. “The more I see such things on Twitter, the more I realise that we are so corrupt that it feels it’s beyond repair now.” The footage, which has prompted a flood of angry reactions, highlights how poor regulation and deceptive branding can turn trusted travel options into potential death traps. Ashok Leyland Bus Turns Bharat Benz The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), shows a sleeper bus usually used for long intercity journeys, sometimes lasting several hours or even days. But what’s inside has shocked many viewers. The bus carries a Bharat Benz logo while its body is that of Ashok Leyland. The man recording the video walks through the vehicle and points out one issue after another, such as no emergency exits, the body stretched to fit extra seats, no air suspension and poor interior space. The bus carries an Arunachal Pradesh number plate. He begins by saying, “Hindustan mein gazab level ke scams hote hai. Ye yaha Bharat Benz ka logo laga hua hai. Jab booking karwai thi toh bola tha ki completely air suspension par bus hai. Bharat Benz ka logo lagaya hua hai aur Ashok Leyland ki bus hai (There are amazing-level scams in India. This has a Bharat Benz logo here. When I booked, they said it was completely on air suspension. It has Bharat Benz logo but it’s an Ashok Leyland bus).” Moving towards the back of the bus, he highlights another major flaw: the absence of an emergency exit. He says, “Kamaal ki chiz ye hai ki es bus mein emergency exit hota hi nahi hai (The amazing thing is that this bus does not have an emergency exit at all).” He then shows the rear section and explains that instead of an emergency window, two sleeper seats have been installed there. “Eska aapko exit hi nahi dikhega (You will not find an exit on this),” he adds. The man further points to the missing air suspension and says the bus’s body has been dangerously modified to accommodate more seats. “Ye galat hai. Ye customers ke sath pure pure pure cheating hai (This is wrong. This is pure, pure, pure cheating of customers),” he says. Towards the end, he blames not the bus owner but the authorities who approved the vehicle: “Ye aise nahi hona chaiye. Yaha case bus operator ke khilaf nahi hona chaiye. Bus maalik ki koi galti nahi hai. Galti us RTO ki hai, us sarkar ki jo toll pura le rahi hai. Us bande ki jisne esko pass kardiya (This should not be like this. The case should not be against the bus operator. The bus owner is not at fault. The fault is of that RTO, of that government collecting tolls, and of the person who passed it).” Watch The Clip Here * Bill customers for a high end Bharat Benz bus* Put a Bharat Benz logo, but inside it is a Ashok Leyland one* Emergency exit has been blocked, and beds placed * Body of the bus has been extended way too far* No air suspension pic.twitter.com/HbUNzLJLMw Anger And Disbelief Online The video has led to an outpouring of frustration across social media. One person commented, “Only in India. This is the next level of scam.” Another wrote, “Unfortunately, we are stuck in an ecosystem where everyone is corrupt, and there is no accountability of anyone. It is just chaos and a big message everywhere.” “Scam innovation at its finest. Sell a Bharat Benz dream, deliver an Ashok Leyland reality. When greed overtakes engineering, even the emergency exit becomes a profit margin,” someone remarked. A person tagged Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, asking for action, “Being transport and road minister please get it investigated by relevant departments for quick and strict action.” Reminder Of Jaisalmer And Hyderabad Bus Tragedies Viewers recalled two major bus tragedies that occurred this month, both of which involved sleeper buses catching fire. In one case, a Bengaluru-bound private bus from Hyderabad caught fire after colliding with a two-wheeler. The mishap left 20 people dead. Earlier, on October 14, a private AC sleeper bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur crashed into a trailer near Agolai village and caught fire, leaving 19 people dead on the spot. Several users connected these incidents to the concerns shown in the video.
