'Sleeper buses are death traps; they should be banned, not improved'

India’s increasingly popular long‑distance “sleeper bus” services are drawing scrutiny after road‑safety advocates raised concerns over their risks and regulatory compliance. This call for action comes days after the bus fire that killed 20 people near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.

On a widely‑shared LinkedIn post,  Shrikant M  Vaidya, former Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, highlighted a host of problems associated with these vehicles, including obscured windows, minimal space to move, limited or no emergency exits, and a general lack of passenger awareness.

You cannot regulate a fire-trap. You can only remove it.

The post argued that while these services may appear convenient and cost‑effective, the design compromises often make evacuation during emergencies extremely difficult.