CCTV, panic buttons, ban on curtains: Delhi tightens bus safety rules after teen gang-raped in Greater Noida

The Delhi government has issued fresh safety directions for all buses operating in the capital, including those from other states. The development comes amid outrage over the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl on a sleeper bus headed to Delhi from Greater Noida.All buses must have working Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs), panic buttons, fire extinguishers and first-aid kits. ( HT)The Transport Department has made safety measures for women and children a priority. Officials have warned that violations would invite action.Mandatory safety equipment, restrictions on curtainsUnder the new directions, all buses must have functional Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs), accessible panic buttons, fire extinguishers and first-aid kits, news agency ANI reported.Operators have also been instructed to park buses only at authorised, secure and well-lit locations when they are not in operation, particularly during night hours.Curtains and unauthorised films covering bus windows have been prohibited. Operators are required to maintain the prescribed visibility standards.ALSO READ | Cops quiz witnesses to form ‘watertight’ case over Greater Noida-Delhi bus gang rapeStaff verification and conductDrivers and conductors must have valid licences, uniforms and PSV badges wherever required. Bus operators must verify staff before deployment.Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited. Staff must also behave properly with passengers.In cases of harassment, molestation or eve-teasing, crews must inform police immediately and take the bus to the nearest police station, police post or PCR van.READ ALSO | Tricked, gang-raped, threatened on Greater Noida-Delhi bus: Survivor to policeBus staff have also been directed to help passengers with disabilities while they board or get off the vehicle.Other rulesThe Transport Department has told operators to ensure that every bus has a valid Fitness Certificate and complies with emission standards. Valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates must also be carried.Buses are required to follow traffic rules and use designated bus lanes wherever applicable. Passengers must be allowed to board or leave buses only at designated stops or other authorised locations. All bus doors must remain closed while the vehicle is moving.ALSO READ | Bus gang rape, then a blame game: UP Police vs Delhi Police over jurisdictionTransport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said passenger safety was “non-negotiable” and said that the prescribed safeguards must be implemented on the ground.The department will conduct enforcement drives. Violations can lead to penalties, detention or impounding of vehicles and suspension or cancellation of licences and permits.Minor girl gang raped on busThe measures follow the gang rape of a 16-year-old Class 11 student from Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri on August 4. Police said the girl left home on August 3 and was travelling to a relative's house in Noida's Sector 63.She allegedly boarded the sleeper bus at Pari Chowk in Greater Noida after the driver and conductor told her it was headed towards Sector 63.ALSO READ | From Greater Noida to Delhi: 47-km bus ride ends in gangrape of 16-year-oldPolice said she was raped and later dropped on Ring Road near the Kashmere Gate Inter-State Bus Terminal. The girl approached Kashmere Gate police station, following which an FIR was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act.Police traced the bus to a parking area in Timarpur and arrested the driver, Kuldeep, and conductor, Sandeep, within four hours.Police collect forensic evidencePolice have recovered fingerprints of the victim and the two accused from the bus. Samples were also collected from the seats and steering wheel, while the accused's clothes were seized.Police are awaiting the DNA report and have asked the Forensic Science Laboratory to expedite it. The charge sheet is likely to be filed within two weeks.