Sleeper bus accidents: IRF calls for strict adherence to code of bus body design

New Delhi | International Road Federation (IRF) on Wednesday expressed deep concerns at recent incidents of fires involving sleeper buses, that claimed over 40 lives, and called for strict adherence to code of bus body design.

IRF is a global road safety body working for better and safer roads across the world.

IRF said the latest bus fire incidents highlight the same persistent dangers: flammable interiors, blocked or narrow exits, missing or faulty emergency windows, no fire safety gear, precious little time to escape, and inadequately trained staff.

It said the existing code of practice for bus body design has strict norms for safety of passengers. These include mandatory fire extinguishers, mandatory speed governors, fixed time of drivers to avoid fatigue, while fitness certificates are managed.

According to IRF, the number of deaths in recent bus accidents could have been avoided with timely help and that delay was caused in cutting the bus body to bring out the injured and other passengers.

"Most developed countries have glass roofs which can be easily broken and the passengers can be rescued. The bus designs, especially of sleeper coaches, is such it takes hours and special cutting tools to cut the vehicle and rescue passengers," said K K Kapila, President Emeritus, International Road Federation.

Kapila said the government should also make it mandatory to equip ambulances and fire brigades with cutting tools and train drivers and attendants to use them.

"Most of the time it is difficult to find or source cutting tools. Most of the ambulances and cranes parked at various toll plazas are ornamental and non-functional most of the time," Kapila added.

The bus body code of India is AIS-052, a mandatory standard that specifies safety, structural, and design requirements for all bus bodies built in the country. The standard was introduced to regulate the previously unorganized bus body-building sector, improve passenger and driver safety, and ensure uniformity in construction.