India News | Delhi Transport Minister Reviews Fire Incidents in DTC Buses; Issues Strict Directives to Strengthen Safety Protocols
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh reviewed the preliminary findings and stressed that the safety of passengers and frontline staff is of the highest priority. He instructed officials to implement enhanced safety protocols without delay.
New Delhi [India], November 24 (ANI): Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh chaired a review meeting on Monday following recent fire incidents involving Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, including one CNG bus and two electric buses, a release said.
Senior officials from the Transport Department and DTC, and representatives from bus manufacturers, were present.
The Transport Minister reviewed the preliminary findings and stressed that the safety of passengers and frontline staff is of the highest priority. He instructed officials to implement enhanced safety protocols without delay.
The Transport Minister directed that a comprehensive set of measures be undertaken, including stricter preventive maintenance, deeper technical audits of CNG and electric buses, strengthening of low-voltage wiring systems, real-time monitoring of battery health, inverter temperature, and ripple current, improving fire-suppression systems in engine and battery compartments, and enhancing emergency-response readiness across depots. He also called for the immediate integration of the detailed recommendations submitted by the IIT Delhi expert committee, it added.
As part of the enhanced safety roadmap, the Minister instructed that buses crossing 200 charging cycles must undergo complete maintenance checks covering overcharging, overheating, and compact-area diagnosis. He further directed that the entire fleet of manufacturers whose buses were involved in fire incidents be subjected to a full safety protocol audit. In addition, buses found with battery heating concerns must adopt reduced-voltage charging to minimise risk and extend battery health.
The Transport Minister emphasised the need for routine documentation of maintenance checks, telematics-based diagnostics to identify abnormalities, and upskilling of depot technicians to align with advanced safety standards. He further directed DTC to standardise isolation distances during EV charging, improve fire-hydrant availability at depots, and ensure timely replacement of ageing components to reduce risks of system failures.
"The recent fire incidents in one CNG and two electric buses are a matter of serious concern. We must ensure that every bus operating in Delhi meets the highest safety standards. I have directed officials to adopt a zero-tolerance approach toward any lapse in safety and maintenance," said Pankaj Kumar Singh.
The Transport Minister further stated, "The expert recommendations from IIT Delhi, including improving low-voltage wiring robustness, enhancing fire-suppression systems, strengthening battery management oversight, and ensuring real-time data monitoring, will be fully incorporated into our action plan. All agencies have been instructed to take immediate corrective measures, carry out rigorous preventive checks, and enhance monitoring mechanisms so that such incidents do not recur. Our priority is to make every bus on Delhi's roads safe, reliable, and future-ready." (ANI)
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