HYDERABAD: The Transport department has intensified its crackdown on private sleeper buses and seized three private Arunachal Pradesh registered sleeper buses over the past two days for operating with enclosed glass cabins.
In the wee hours of Friday, Khairatabad RTA intercepted an Arunachal Pradesh registered private sleeper bus, which had glass doors installed for every sleeper berth.
Officials explained that the enclosed glass cabins could severely hamper passenger evacuation during emergencies such as fires or road accidents. They noted that the heavy glass doors would make it difficult for passengers to escape within the crucial first few seconds after an accident.
According to transport authorities, such modifications violate the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-119 for sleeper coaches and the AIS-052 Bus Body Code, which mandate unobstructed emergency exits, adequate gangway space, functional roof escape hatches and emergency windows, and layouts that enable rapid evacuation.
The bus was immediately seized, and passengers were instructed to shift to an alternative vehicle. However, authorities alleged that the operator failed to arrange a replacement bus, leaving passengers stranded for several hours.