As the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) prepares to introduce its new sleeper buses to compete with private operators, concerned activists in Pune have raised alarm bells about safety issues surrounding these vehicles. In response to these concerns, they have sent nine critical recommendations to the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) aimed at addressing these issues and ensuring the safety of passengers.
Ravindra Mehendale, a transport consultant based in Pune, highlighted the primary recommendation that focuses on the bus’s seating configuration. Currently, the sleeper buses feature a 2×1 passenger configuration, meaning there are two passenger seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other. However, the activists propose changing this to a 1×1 passenger configuration, where there is a single passenger seat on both sides of the aisle. This alteration is aimed at improving passenger safety, especially during emergencies, as it allows for easier evacuation.
Mehendale also stressed the importance of incorporating two escape roof hatches in the bus, made of 3x6ft toughened glass that can be easily broken in case of an emergency. He cited a recent accident on August 18 when an MSRTC bus collided with another vehicle near Narayangaon on the Pune-Nashik highway. During this incident, passengers struggled to escape as the bus doors were locked.
“In the case of a two-by-one-foot configuration, other countries like the USA provide reclining chairs in the executive class for journeys of about 18 hours. India should follow suit or adopt the 1×1 foot bus configuration,” explained Mehendale.
Additional recommendations forwarded to CIRT include the removal of the fixed partition between the driver and passengers and replacing it with a horizontal, removable pipe partition for the driver. The exit doors in the center of the bus should be bottom-hinged, and provisions should be made for two emergency doors at the center, below window-level, facing opposite directions.
Shashikant Damle, a retired judge of the Motor Accident Court Tribunal (MACT), expressed his concerns about sleeper coach buses, emphasizing that they do not comply with safety norms. He pointed out that such buses are banned worldwide except in India, putting passengers’ lives at risk.
Both Mehendale and Damle have indicated their readiness to challenge MSRTC and CIRT in court if necessary, underscoring the urgency of addressing these safety issues and ensuring the well-being of passengers traveling on these sleeper buses.
