Rajasthan judges hit streets in bus safety drive, seize 9 vehicles
Synopsis
For the first time in Rajasthan, judges left their benches and took to the roads — seizing 9 buses, issuing 15 challans, and exposing a pattern of missing emergency exits and illegal modifications that critics say made fatal bus fires in Phalodi and Dausa almost inevitable. The month-long campaign now targets 12 cities.
Key Takeaways
Nine buses were seized and 15 vehicles challaned during a statewide inspection on 9 July 2025 in Rajasthan .
Most sleeper luxury buses had only one emergency exit against the mandatory four , and several had illegally modified bodies and blocked evacuation routes.
The drive was triggered by fatal bus fire accidents in Phalodi and Dausa where passengers were charred to death.
Inspection teams included judicial officers , transport officials, and traffic police operating jointly across the state.
The campaign will cover 12 cities over the next month, focusing initially on long-distance luxury buses.
Judicial officers across Rajasthan stepped out of their courtrooms and onto highways on Thursday, 9 July, conducting surprise inspections of luxury sleeper buses and school transport vehicles as part of a first-of-its-kind road safety campaign driven by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RALSA). The drive follows a string of fatal bus fire incidents in the state, including deadly accidents in Phalodi and Dausa where passengers were charred to death.
Scale of Seizures and Violations
Authorities seized nine buses on Wednesday alone, with further seizures confirmed for Thursday as well. A total of 15 vehicles were issued challans during the statewide sweep. Officials clarified that passengers aboard seized buses would be dropped at their destinations before the vehicles were directed to police stations; operators face licence suspension if they fail to comply.
Pawan Kumar Jeenwal, Secretary of the Jaipur District Legal Services Authority, said RALSA had taken the recurring bus-fire incidents 'very seriously.' He noted that inspections revealed most sleeper luxury buses carried only one emergency exit instead of the mandatory four, and that operators had tampered with seat spacing to create unauthorised luggage storage in violation of prescribed standards. Original bus body structures had also been illegally modified in several cases.
Ground-Level Findings
In Jaipur, Pallavi Sharma, Secretary (Judge) of the District Legal Services Authority (Metropolitan-II), led surprise checks at Chomu Puliya and the No. 14 Bus Stand. One bus registered in Madhya Pradesh was found allegedly operating with a Rajasthan registration plate, prompting immediate action.
Inspection teams measured bus dimensions to verify emergency-exit compliance and examined berth spacing. Luggage compartments were checked to confirm buses were not being used to transport commercial goods — a violation of transport regulations. School buses in the area were also assessed for safety-standard compliance.
Notably, emergency exits and windows in several luxury buses had reportedly been blocked by unauthorised seats and sleeper berths, while illegally constructed cabins posed potential evacuation hazards during emergencies, according to Jeenwal.
Who Is Conducting the Drive
Each inspection team comprised judicial officers, transport department officials, and traffic police personnel, who jointly verified vehicle documents and safety features before taking enforcement action. The multi-agency composition is designed to ensure that enforcement cannot be stalled at any single administrative level.
Scope and What Comes Next
The campaign, launched by RALSA, will run for over a month and cover major inter-state transport hubs including Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Sri Ganganagar, Alwar, Bhilwara, Rajsamand, and Sikar.
According to Hariom Sharma Atri, Member Secretary of RALSA, the first phase focuses on long-distance luxury buses. Vehicles found non-compliant face penalties including fines and impoundment, aimed at driving greater accountability and improving passenger safety across the state.
Point of View
Not a one-off lapse. The violations uncovered, missing emergency exits and illegally modified bus bodies, are not hard to spot; they simply were not being looked for. With the campaign limited to a month and 12 cities, the harder question is what enforcement looks like on day 32. Without structural reform to routine transport inspections, this drive risks being a high-visibility exercise that leaves the underlying accountability gap intact.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Rajasthan judges inspecting buses on the streets?
The Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RALSA) launched the drive in response to a series of fatal bus fire incidents, including accidents in Phalodi and Dausa where passengers were killed. Judicial officers joined transport officials and traffic police to enforce safety norms that had reportedly been ignored by operators.
How many buses were seized and what violations were found?
Nine buses were seized on Wednesday, 9 July , with more seizures confirmed for Thursday. A total of 15 vehicles received challans. Key violations included only one emergency exit instead of the mandatory four, tampered seat spacing, unauthorised luggage storage, blocked evacuation windows, and illegally modified bus bodies.
Which cities will be covered under the Rajasthan bus safety campaign?
The month-long campaign will cover 12 major inter-state transport hubs : Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Sri Ganganagar, Alwar, Bhilwara, Rajsamand, and Sikar. The first phase focuses on long-distance luxury buses.
What happens to passengers when a bus is seized?
Officials confirmed that passengers will be dropped at their intended destinations before the seized bus is directed to a police station. If operators do not comply, their licence faces suspension.
What penalties do bus operators face for safety violations?
Operators found violating prescribed safety norms face fines, vehicle impoundment, and licence suspension. The penalties are being applied jointly by judicial officers, the transport department, and traffic police to ensure enforcement cannot be bypassed at any single level.
