From panic buttons to CCTV: Delhi tightens the screws on bus operators

From functional panic buttons and tracking devices to a ban on curtains, Delhi has introduced stricter requirements for every bus operating in the capital following the alleged assault of a 16-year-old inside a moving sleeper bus

PGurus Newsdesk

September 2, 2026

Bus safety under scanner: Delhi brings in tougher rules after minor's assault

No curtains. No dead panic buttons. Delhi tightens bus safety.

A moving bus should not become a place where a passenger can disappear from public view.

Yet that is precisely what investigators are examining after a 16-year-old girl was raped inside a private sleeper bus travelling from Greater Noida towards Delhi. The driver and conductor have been accused in the case, and the girl was later abandoned near Kashmere Gate, police said.

The case has now prompted the Delhi government to tighten safety requirements for every bus operating in the capital, including interstate services.

Under the new directions, safety equipment cannot merely be installed and forgotten. Panic buttons and Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs) must remain functional at all times, while panic buttons must be readily accessible to passengers.

Curtains banned, windows must remain visible

One of the most striking changes concerns the windows.

Bus operators have been directed not to use curtains or unauthorised films that obstruct visibility through the windows. The measure addresses a crucial issue in the recent case: the sleeper bus allegedly had its windows covered, limiting visibility from outside.

The bus also appeared not to have a functioning CCTV system, despite surveillance being among the safety measures mandated for public transport after the 2012 Nirbhaya case.

The new rules therefore focus not just on having safety systems in place, but on ensuring that they actually work when passengers need them.

Fire extinguishers, first-aid kits also mandatory

The Transport Department has also instructed operators to ensure that every bus carries serviceable fire extinguishers and first-aid kits.

Another directive deals with buses that are parked overnight or remain idle. They must be kept only at authorised, secure and adequately lit locations, according to the government.

Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said passenger safety was “non-negotiable” and stressed that prescribed safety and operational standards must be maintained across buses operating in Delhi.

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