Yamuna Expressway Bus Fire: Allahabad High Court Issues Notice To MoRTH Over Compliance With Sleeper Bus Safety Standards
The Allahabad High Court has issued notice to the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in a suo motu case concerning the deaths of 9 passengers who were charred to death in a sleeper bus fire near Jewar on the Yamuna Expressway during the intervening night of September 23 and 24, 2026.
A bench of Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery passed the order after considering affidavits filed by the Director General of Police and the Additional Chief Secretary (Transport), Uttar Pradesh, along with suggestions submitted by Senior Advocate Tarun Agarwal, who assisted the Court as amicus curiae.
The Court noted that the State had challaned 7,665 buses and impounded 1,008 between April and September 2026. However, it observed that "still some more exercise is required".
The State Transport Department's affidavit stated that Automatic Testing Stations (ATS) are registered and operated under MoRTH, while ATS facilities situated in other States are not under the control of the UP-Transport Department.
The affidavit stated that it was therefore necessary to issue directions to MoRTH for “strict andUP Transportompliance” with Automotive Industry Standards AIS-119 and AIS-135 to ensure passenger safety and security.
The Court recorded the State's request to implead MoRTH through its Secretary and issued notice to the Secretary, MoRTH. It also directed that a copy of the entire case file be served on the Additional Solicitor General of India.
The State's affidavit also disclosed that the UP Transport Department issued 252 sleeper bus permits in 2023, 340 in 2024, 610 in 2025 and 1,104 permits till September 2026.
It stated that before issuing All India Tourist Permits to sleeper buses, the required standards are checked. The registration or inspecting officer examines the vehicle's fitness and issues a fitness certificate with a validity period. The permit application is approved only if the fitness certificate is valid.
The affidavit further stated that Uttar Pradesh has not established static checking points on its borders. Instead, surprise checking points and enforcement teams conduct regular checks.
The matter will next be heard on November 17.
Last month, the High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the fatal bus fire while observing that air-conditioned sleeper buses appeared to be operating "without proper check and without proper safeguards, such as, fire extinguisher etc".
The Court had examined Automotive Industry Standards, including AIS-052 on general bus body design, AIS-119 on sleeper coach specifications and AIS-135 on fire detection and suppression.
The prescribed requirements include emergency exits, restrictions on vehicle height, automated fire suppression systems and driver drowsiness alert systems.
In the latest order, the Court said it hoped the State would consider the suggestions submitted by the amicus curiae and come up with a "consolidated proposal so that unfortunate accidents may not be repeated".
The proposal should also include "ways of checking modified buses".