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A modified bus code, introduced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has the potential to solve the crisis of bus fires in India while offering a safe ride to the passengers, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told News18 on Thursday. He added that these amended codes also make unsafe sleeper conversions punishable by jail. The minister said the Kurnool bus fire that killed 19 passengers was using a fake logo and was illegally modified as a sleeper bus. It is being claimed that the bus was initially registered as a seater coach but was converted into a sleeper without proper authorisation. The investigation in the case is currently underway. Gadkari, while speaking with News18, assured that the amended bus code introduced by his ministry can solve these problems. “The amended bus code has various provisions. The buses manufactured as per the code will not catch fire. And all buses in India will have to comply with the bus code,” he said, adding that with standardised productions, all buses will have fire safety measures in place. On being asked if buses still get modified illegally despite the amended code, Gadkari warned that if anyone is found using buses manufactured or modified against the code, “they will directly be sent to jail”. “We have made strict positions in the code for defaulters,” he assured. In October, India saw two major bus fires that claimed around 40 lives. One of these was in Rajasthan and another in Andhra Pradesh. The amended bus code, implemented from September 1, 2025, is for all buses, Gadkari said. The amendments, introduced under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, are legally binding. Violations will attract penal action under the Motor Vehicles Act. As per a ministry official, in the last couple of months, changes have been made in the bus codes—particularly AIS 052, AIS 153, and AIS 119. Automotive Industry Standard 153 deals with additional requirements for bus construction. Automotive Industry Standard 052 is a code of practice for bus body design and approval. And Automotive Industry Standard 119 is about flammability, fire resistance, and smoke density requirements for bus components. Fire safety norms While there have been several changes related to the design and strength, there has been special focus on making the buses fire-safe. Official documents seen by News18 say that all cables used have to be BIS marked. The wires need to have copper conductors with fire-retardant PVC insulation and be able to withstand working temperatures up to 70°C. The AIS 052 revision incorporated European safety standards, merging earlier fragmented rules for a stronger body frame and standardised driver area layouts. It also covered in detail mandatory fire extinguishers and first-aid kits, and better visibility and lighting. For all types of buses, a minimum of two fire extinguishers was mandated. Rules for fuel tank location, electrical systems, and wiring for the buses were also defined, for enhanced safety, making vehicles less likely to catch fire, short-circuit, or have blind spots. On modification, the rule states that no circuit provided by the vehicle manufacturer or type approved can be modified. It has also been mandated that alterations will not be permitted on fuel feed systems provided by the vehicle manufacturer. Coach builders will now have to obtain type approval for carrying out any modification prior to any alteration if deemed necessary. In addition, the rules also bar alterations on the chassis or any of its aggregates or components. “Any modifications shall call for fresh type approval of the design and the prototype,” the document reads. The dashboards of the buses also have to be of non-metallic, fire-resistant, energy-absorbing material and so constructed that in the event of a collision, they shall cause minimum injury to the driver. Ground check Last week, News18 held a ground check of the private sleeper buses in various cities across India. When the Delhi Transport Department was asked about these buses stationed in the national capital, it said that it has limited powers to act against private sleeper buses from other states, claiming it can only verify documents and safety compliance. https://www.news18.com/cities/new-delhi-news/delhi-transport-dept-cant-control-out-of-state-pvt-sleeper-buses-news18-ground-report-amid-fires-ws-kl-9661128.html CNN-News18 reports from the ground on the safety of private buses across India after two major bus accidents have resulted in the loss of over 40 lives@nimumurali | @KamalikaSengupt | @tweet_aneri | @niveditasingh__ @Sukanya_says | #Buses #Safety #Travel #India pic.twitter.com/ZJ6KuGM1nS — News18 (@CNNnews18) October 26, 2025 The amendments, a MoRTH official said, for the first time have in place norms for enhanced safety design, fire resistance and manufacturing. The government believes the stricter norms will end the practice of locally modified, unsafe sleeper buses that have turned highways into death traps. “Once all buses are type-approved under the new standards, tragedies like Kurnool should not recur,” the MoRTH official added.
