Safety measures in place to check fire accidents in private sleeper buses, says Transport Minister

Addressing concerns regarding frequent and fatal fire accidents involving private sleeper buses, Minister for Transport M.andipalli Ramprasad Reddy informed the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that the government is closely monitoring the situation and enforcing stringent safety measures.

Responding to a question raised by Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy during the ongoing session, the Transport Minister remarked that instances of fire accidents in private sleeper buses resulting in fatalities had come to the government’s notice.

Quoting statistics provided by the Transport, and Roads & Buildings Department on the State’s transport infrastructure, the Minister said a total of 851 sleeper buses had been registered throughout the State — 16 in the government sector and 835 in the private sector.

To curb accidents, the administration outlined key preventive steps currently in effect, he remarked. “Circular instructions have been issued to the registering authorities mandating strict compliance with Rule 128 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which enforces rigorous construction, safety equipment, and design standards for tourist vehicles covering structural integrity, lighting, interior fittings, specific door dimensions, passenger seating standards, and mandatory rear-view mirrors,” the Minister said.

The Transport Department had additionally been conducting regular special drives targeting private sleeper buses across the State. Enforcement statistics show that in 2025, a total of 13,724 cases had been booked and ₹11.96 crore in penalties collected. In all, 9,003 cases were booked and ₹9.79 crore in penalties collected up to July 2026, the Minister said.

Mr. According to Sridhar Reddy, about 90% of the accidents were attributed to human negligence. Emphasising the gravity of the issue, he called on the government to take stringent action against the accused and insisted on imposing heavier penalties on traffic rule violations to check accidents.