The Andhra Pradesh government is considering a ban on private sleeper buses, officials said on Wednesday, adding that the move was a result of a spate of recent serious accidents involving such vehicles.
The Cabinet sub-committee formed to review measures to prevent bus accidents took up the matter for discussion on Tuesday. State Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha were present.
Most of the private sleeper buses currently in service were converted vehicles rather than factory-built models, officials present told the subcommittee, and cited lax compliance with structural and safety standards, including lack of adequate emergency exits, poor ventilation, and increased fire risks.
“In the first phase, the state government is considering the possibility of banning sleeper buses not manufactured in factories. We will engage with the Center seeking regulatory intervention to either restrict or prohibit operations of unsafe sleeper buses,” Reddy told reporters after the meeting.
He added that the government will not hesitate to take strict measures to save lives.
Investigations into the October 2025 bus fire in Kurnool, which killed 19 people, The minister noted that similar incidents in Maridomilli and Markapuram indicate that human error was the main cause in many cases.
He added that pending the final decision, the government will implement a series of strict safety measures with immediate effect.
The main procedure involves organizing travel time based on the distance between the origin and destination points.
“If the bus arrives before the specified time, it will not be allowed to enter the city,” the minister said, adding that the move aims to discourage speeding.
All private buses operating on routes longer than 300 km will now require two drivers to operate. It is now also necessary to provide a designated seat for the driver outside of working hours for comfort, especially during night trips.
Reddy said the directions have already been sent to private travel companies.
The government also imposed sanctions $Rs 40 crore to install speed guns on roads to check speeding.
He said: “Private bus operators have also been directed to install two cameras on each bus to monitor and alert drivers and evaluate the movement of vehicles coming from the opposite direction.”
The minister said that the government has intensified inspections after the Markapuram accident. Sixteen checkpoints were set up across the state, and authorities conducted about 10,000 vehicle inspections in the past 10 days.
