Burning on Wheels: Private Buses, Public Apathy, and the Horror on Lucknow Roads

– Ashok Kumar Jha, Editor-in-Chief, PSA Live News & Ranchi Dastak

The morning of May 15, 2025, became another day of horror for the city of Lucknow, as a private sleeper bus (Registration No: UP17 AT 6372), traveling from Begusarai (Bihar) to Delhi, turned into a blazing inferno near Kisan Path in the Mohanlalganj area. In this tragic incident, five innocent lives were lost—two children, two women, and one man—burnt alive while they slept in their bunks, unaware of the doom speeding toward them.

The Bus Kept Moving While on Fire — Driver and Conductor Fled

Eyewitnesses reported that the bus kept moving for nearly a kilometer even after flames erupted inside. Instead of stopping the vehicle, the driver and conductor chose to flee the scene, abandoning the helpless passengers to their fate. By the time fire engines arrived, the blaze had engulfed the vehicle. Locals and police broke the windows to rescue as many passengers as possible—around 80 were onboard, but five could not be saved.

Systemic Failures and the Mockery of Safety

This is not an isolated incident. Over the past decade, hundreds of such fire-related tragedies involving sleeper buses have occurred across India, killing countless passengers. Yet, what lessons have we truly learned? Are buses equipped with fire alarms, extinguishers, emergency exits and proper evacuation protocols? The hard truth is: most are not.

Private bus operators are locked in a relentless race for profit. Overloading, lack of maintenance, and untrained or exhausted drivers are common. In the end, it raises a chilling question: Are human lives cheaper than a ₹700 bus ticket?

Administrative Apathy: Can Compensation Replace Accountability?

As always, the government responded with an announcement of compensation—₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased, ₹50,000 for the injured. But is that enough? Compensation is not justice.

Who is truly accountable? Will the owners of the bus go unpunished? Is the role of the transport department limited to registration numbers and permits? If fitness certificates are merely paperwork and safety inspections a formality, how can we prevent the next tragedy?

These Sleeper Buses Are Nightmares on Wheels

Sleeper buses have gained popularity on routes where train services are limited. But what is sold as comfort often turns into a deathtrap. Sealed windows, narrow aisles, crowded upper berths—these turn into coffins in a fire. When the blaze breaks out, what burns is not just a vehicle—it’s human screams, futures, families, and dreams reduced to ash.

The Way Forward: From Mourning to Action

We need firm resolve and structural reforms, not just sympathy. Here are five urgent steps that authorities must enforce:

Mandatory fire detection and suppression systems in all buses.
Regular inspection and real-time audit of private bus operators.
Compulsory medical and technical training for all bus drivers and conductors.
Installation of GPS-based emergency buttons and functional CCTVs.
Hold not just the driver, but the entire company management criminally liable for negligence.

Conclusion: Time to Wake Up the System

Every tragedy teaches a lesson—if we are willing to learn. The five who perished in Lucknow were not statistics. They were five stories, five families, five lives full of hopes and plans.

Let us not reduce this to another headline. Let this be a turning point—where road safety, administrative responsibility, and passenger dignity finally get the seriousness they deserve.

This time, don’t just light candles—light a fire in the conscience of our system.

(The author is a senior journalist specializing in national security, transportation policy, and social justice.)