Jaipur, July 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) A month-long enforcement campaign by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RALSA) has triggered a major overhaul in the state's luxury bus industry.
The unprecedented drive has resulted in the seizure of 10O luxury sleeper buses for violating safety norms.
The impact of the drive is visible as thousands of bus operators have lined up at workshops to modify their vehicles and comply with mandatory transport safety standards.
Disturbed by a series of fatal sleeper bus accidents and fire incidents in which passengers were trapped inside burning vehicles, judges in Rajasthan have stepped out of courtrooms and onto the roads as part of a month-long statewide safety drive launched by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RALSA).
The unprecedented campaign has already led to the seizure of over 100 luxury sleeper buses, while thousands of operators have queued up at the workshops to modify their vehicles and comply with mandatory safety standards.
The drive, being initiated under the directions of RALSA Member Secretary Justice Hariom Atri, is being carried out in 12 districts of the state.
Surprise inspections in Jaipur, Jodhpur and other districts found buses operating with only one emergency exit, illegally modified sleeper layouts, oversized luggage compartments created by reducing passenger space, excessive vehicle overhang, roof-mounted luggage carriers and other violations of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and AIS-119 (Rev.1): 2016 safety norms.
"Hari Om Atri and other colleagues were deeply pained by incidents where passengers were charred to death because they had no safe escape route. That is why judicial officers themselves are monitoring the enforcement drive," Praveen Kumar Jeenwal, Secretary, Jaipur District Legal Services Authority, told IANS.
The inspections have triggered a rush at bus workshops across Rajasthan, with operators scrambling to restore buses to approved dimensions. "Many buses had been illegally extended or modified to create additional luggage space, compromising passenger safety. Operators are now bringing them back in line with transport norms. We expect nearly 80 per cent of the buses to be rectified within a month," Jeenwal said.
The campaign has also uncovered registration irregularities, as a vehicle displaying a Rajasthan registration number was found to be registered in Madhya Pradesh, prompting an FIR. Two buses registered in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand operating in Rajasthan, flouting norms, have also been seized.
Authorities have instructed operators to first ensure passengers reach their destinations before reporting seized vehicles to police stations.
The campaign was launched on the directions of Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.
The month-long drive will continue across Rajasthan to improve passenger safety and prevent tragedies caused by non-compliant sleeper buses, and the judicial officers are confident that 80 per cent will get back in the right size, saving the lives of millions of passengers.
It needs to be mentioned here that on July 1, eight people were charred to death when a luxury bus caught fire in Dausa. Earlier, a bus caught fire in Phalodi, leaving over two dozen people dead in November 2025.
Source: IANS
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