Key Points:
- India records over 45,000 bus accidents annually, though official 2024 data
- Recent tragedies in Jaisalmer (22 dead) and Kurnool (20 dead) in October 2025 highlight recurring safety failures in private bus operations
- India ranks third globally in automobile market size but has some of world’s most dangerous roads with 180,000 traffic deaths in 2024
- Over 26,770 people died on National Highways in first six months of 2025 alone, according to Ministry data
- Primary accident causes: speeding, driver fatigue, overloading, mechanical failures, and inadequate safety equipment
- Most private buses lack proper emergency exits, fire suppression systems, and maintain operations without valid fitness certificates
- Maharashtra state transport buses averaged 39 deaths monthly from April-December 2024, with human error and speeding as leading factors
New Delhi: India’s road safety crisis has reached catastrophic proportions, with approximately 180,000 people losing their lives in traffic accidents in 2024, according to government authorities. The country ranks as the world’s third-largest automobile market, yet simultaneously features some of the planet’s most perilous roadways. National Highway fatalities alone accounted for 26,770 deaths in the first six months of 2025, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari revealed in Parliament on July 22, 2025. This figure represents data entered by states and union territories on the eDAR (electronic Detailed Accident Report) Portal as of July 17, 2025. Comparatively, National Highways witnessed 53,372 fatalities in 2023 and 52,609 in 2024, indicating minimal improvement despite government interventions.
Recent Deadly Bus Accidents
The devastating consequences of inadequate bus safety protocols became tragically evident in October 2025 through two catastrophic incidents. On October 14, 2025, a private bus traveling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur in Rajasthan burst into flames due to a short circuit in the air-conditioning system, killing 22 passengers, including three children. Less than ten days later, on October 23, 2025, a Kaveri Travels Volvo bus collided with a motorcycle on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway near Chinnatekur in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. The collision sparked a fuel leak that ignited into a massive blaze, engulfing the air-conditioned sleeper bus within minutes and killing at least 20 of the 41 passengers aboard. District revenue official A Siri confirmed that 21 individuals were rescued, but 11 bodies recovered were charred beyond recognition, requiring DNA testing for identification.
State-Level Data Reveals Crisis
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) data provides a granular view of the systemic failures plaguing India’s bus transport sector. From April through December 2024, the state recorded 2,704 bus crashes resulting in 354 fatalities and 3,465 injuries—averaging 39 deaths per month. This marked an increase from the previous fiscal year 2023-24, which saw 3,381 crashes claiming 421 lives and injuring 2,818 people. The upward trajectory suggests that by the end of fiscal year 2024-25, total fatalities could surpass the previous year’s toll. The Maharashtra government disbursed approximately ₹86 crore in compensation to families of victims killed or injured in MSRTC accidents in 2022-23, and ₹78 crore in 2023-24, reflecting the enormous human and financial cost of these preventable tragedies.
Root Causes of Bus Accidents
Transportation safety experts have identified multiple overlapping factors contributing to India’s bus accident epidemic. Speeding emerges as the primary culprit, with drivers routinely exceeding posted limits to meet unrealistic schedules set by operators prioritizing profit over passenger safety. Failure to maintain safe distances from vehicles ahead, improper overtaking maneuvers, and mechanical failures due to inadequate maintenance compound the risk. Driver-related issues include operating while fatigued after covering long distances without mandated rest breaks, speaking on mobile phones while driving, drunk driving, and not maintaining proper mental alertness. Additionally, buses often operate without valid fitness certificates, with worn brake systems, bald tires, and faulty lighting that increase accident probability.
Private Sector Safety Deficiencies
Private travel companies, which dominate India’s intercity bus market, demonstrate particularly egregious safety violations. Most private buses lack properly functioning emergency exits, a critical deficiency exposed in the Kurnool tragedy, where survivors reported emergency windows wouldn’t open, forcing passengers to break regular windows to escape. Fire safety equipment, such as extinguishers, smoke detectors, and automatic suppression systems, is virtually nonexistent in private fleets despite regulatory requirements. In the name of passenger safety, operators merely cite insurance coverage while neglecting basic protective infrastructure. Overloading remains rampant, with buses carrying passengers far exceeding seating capacity, blocking aisles and exits that could facilitate evacuation during emergencies.
Government Response Falls Short
While the central government has implemented awareness campaigns, including annual “Road Safety Week” initiatives, experts argue these measures produce minimal tangible improvement in accident rates. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued rules in August 2021 for electronic enforcement of road safety norms at high-risk corridors, mandating the installation of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) and AI-based Video Incident Detection and Enforcement Systems (VIDES). These technologies have been deployed on select stretches, including the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, with integration into platforms such as Rajmarg Yatra, NHAI One App, and e-challan systems.
The government has also deployed interceptor vehicles on highways capable of monitoring speeds of all vehicles, including state buses, and issuing electronic challans for traffic violations. Regarding accident-prone “black spots,” Minister Gadkari reported that as of July 2025, short-term remedial measures have been completed at 8,542 locations, long-term solutions implemented at 3,144 sites, and 3,322 spots assessed as not requiring long-term corrective work. However, critics note that long-term rectification involving road geometric improvements, junction redesigns, spot widening, and construction of underpasses or overpasses requires land acquisition, forest clearances, and utility shifting—processes that consume significant time and often stall indefinitely.
Accountability and Enforcement Gaps
The fundamental challenge lies in the absence of meaningful accountability mechanisms for bus operators who violate safety standards. State transport authorities routinely renew operating permits for companies with documented safety violations, while disciplinary action against negligent drivers remains inconsistent and inadequate. The Maharashtra data indicate that while crashes and fatalities have been meticulously documented, no corresponding increase in prosecutions or license revocations has occurred. Insurance claims serve as the primary financial consequence for operators, creating perverse incentives where companies calculate that paying occasional claims costs less than investing in comprehensive safety upgrades.
The Trust Deficit
For millions of Indians, particularly those in rural and semi-urban areas, bus travel represents the most affordable and accessible transportation option.Transportation safety advocates argue that without fundamental reforms, including mandatory safety audits, real-time monitoring of driver fatigue through technology, stringent enforcement of fitness certificate requirements, and criminal liability for corporate executives whose policies contribute to fatal accidents, bus travel in India will continue claiming preventable casualties at an unconscionable rate.
