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The Delhi Transport Department says it has limited powers to act against private sleeper buses from other states, claiming it can only verify documents and safety compliance. A senior official from the Department told CNN-News18 that they do not permit buses operating without valid permits and safety measures in place, and it is the only restriction they can impose. “Delhi does not have control over the private buses coming to Delhi from other states. All we can do is check their documents. And we don’t allow buses without proper documentation and safety measures,” an official said. Explained | Kurnool, Jaisalmer Bus Mishaps: Who Issues Fitness Certificates? What Are Mandatory Fire Safety Measures? When informed that several private buses were spotted near Mori Gate, in CNN-News18’s ground check, without safety measures in place, the department responded that enforcement teams would be sent to review the situation. “Now that you have said this, we will send our teams to check,” the official added. The clarification comes amid increasing incidents of bus fire. The lack of fire safety measures in private buses poses a serious threat to passengers. 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 Last week, CNN-News18 visited the Mori Gate area in the national capital to check the safety measures in place in sleeper buses. Most of the buses had fire extinguishers but those were packed and kept in hidden locations in the buses. In at least three buses, the conductor took out a fire extinguisher from a seal pack box kept in the storage under the conductor’s seat. The interiors of the buses were not fully fire-resistant, and some had damaged or inaccessible exit gates. In one of the buses, when the conductor was asked to open the emergency exit, he said it had to be opened from the outside. Commuters tend to go for these ‘unsafe’ buses because they offer rides at a much cheaper rate than buses with all documents and safety measures in place. These buses – particularly those plying to parts of Uttar Pradesh – were also being used to transport consignments coming to and from the Old Delhi Railway station. There was also no check on the buses being used as loading vehicles. In the Kurnool bus tragedy, mobile phones stored in the luggage compartment had aggravated the fire. Last week, in Andhra Pradesh, a sleeper AC bus from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with 46 passengers caught fire. It is being estimated that the fire was triggered by a fuel leak after the bus collided with a bike that had been knocked to the ground earlier in a hit-and-run incident. The accident claimed 20 lives, including the bike rider. Earlier this month, another 20 people were killed when an air-conditioned bus from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire. These buses plying across the cities not just put the safety of passengers at risk but also can result in major mishaps. The recent tragedies have reignited calls for uniform fire-safety norms and stricter enforcement across states.
