No curtains, no unauthorised stops: Delhi government’s new order over bus safety

Days after a 17-year-old girl was raped on a moving bus enroute Delhi from Greater Noida, the Delhi government on Tuesday ordered bus operators to implement safety measures, including GPS trackers, panic buttons.

According to the Delhi Transport department’s order, no buses should have curtains or tainted glass.

The order also prohibited stopping at unsafe or unauthorised locations, particularly in the middle of the road or at intersections. It also directs bus operators to sensitise drivers, conductors and other crew members about preventing harassment and the serious consequences of any misconduct against women passengers.

The development comes after a Class 11 student from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh was allegedly raped on a sleeper bus that travelled nearly 47 km from Greater Noida to Old Delhi’s Kashmere Gate without being checked at a single police picket.