Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 2: The Delhi government has tightened safety and operational norms for buses operating in the national capital following the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a moving sleeper bus in Noida earlier this month.
In an order issued by the Transport department on Tuesday, bus operators have been directed to ensure that Vehicle Location Tracking Devices and panic buttons remain functional at all times. The government has also prohibited curtains and glass fitted with films inside buses and instructed operators to ensure that vehicles do not stop at unsafe or unauthorised locations.
The directions come weeks after the teenage girl was allegedly raped by the driver and conductor of a sleeper bus on the night of August 4. According to Delhi Police, the accused allegedly abandoned the girl near Kashmere Gate following the incident.
The Transport department has directed operators to ensure that drivers possess valid driving licences and wear the prescribed uniform. Bus operators have also been instructed to sensitise drivers, conductors and other crew members about preventing harassment and the consequences of misconduct against women passengers.
In cases involving indecent behaviour, molestation, eve-teasing or any other offence against a woman, the bus crew must immediately inform the police and take the vehicle to the nearest police station, police post or PCR van.
“Passenger safety is non-negotiable,” Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said, adding that every bus operating in Delhi must comply with prescribed safety and operational standards and ensure that essential safety systems remain functional.
The order further directs drivers and other staff to maintain courteous behaviour towards passengers and strictly prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating substances. Operators have also been asked to verify drivers, conductors, attendants and other staff before deploying them.
Buses can be parked during night and idle hours only at authorised, secure and adequately lit locations, according to the new directions. The order also lays down safety requirements for school buses, including the presence of an authorised attendant wherever required and ensuring that doors remain securely closed while the vehicle is moving.
Bus operators have also been directed to comply with applicable emission norms and ensure that vehicles carry valid Pollution Under Control certificates.
The stricter regulations follow the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old Class 11 student from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, inside a sleeper bus in Noida.
Delhi Police are examining CCTV footage and mobile phone location data to reconstruct the bus's movement on the night of August 4. Investigators have also found that the bus had received eight challans in Uttar Pradesh in July, mostly for speeding. One challan issued in Hamirpur on July 23 was for Rs 23,000 for allegedly operating without a permit. Five of the eight challans were issued in Mathura, with the total value amounting to Rs 54,000.
Police said the bus was purchased in April and registered in Firozabad on April 28.
According to police, the girl had boarded the bus at Pari Chowk after being assured by the conductor that it would take her to Noida Sector 63, where her cousin lived. Police allege that the two accused picked her up around 9 pm and assaulted her inside the moving bus before abandoning her near Kashmere Gate.
The accused, identified as driver Kuldeep, 39, and conductor Sandeep, 26, were arrested after investigators traced the bus to a parking lot in Timarpur using CCTV footage. The vehicle was subsequently seized.
Police have sent the survivor’s clothes for forensic examination and are examining other material recovered from the bus as part of the investigation.
The bus reportedly had company-fitted curtains around its sleeper berths. The travel company had earlier said that its CCTV cameras were not operational as the vehicle was undergoing renovation.
The Delhi Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to conduct an expedited investigation and submit an action-taken report within seven days.