New Delhi: Curtains and tinted glass may seem like an afterthought when it comes to safety in buses, but the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl inside a moving sleeper bus has raised fresh questions about passenger safety and visibility norms for buses operating in or passing through Delhi. Curtains around the sleeper berths, say police, allegedly helped the suspects conceal what was happening inside.
The incident has brought the focus back on safety measures introduced after the 2012 Nirbhaya case . The conditions, updated in 2013 for DTC, cluster and private buses, state under Condition 30 that buses cannot be fitted with curtains or glasses having films. Where tinted glass is provided by the manufacturer, the windscreen, rear and side windows must meet Rule 100(2) of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and Supreme Court’s 2012 directions. Condition 31 also requires sufficient white internal lighting to remain switched on while the bus is moving to ensure visibility at all times. That distinction aside, SC in 2012 directed that black film or any other material such as curtains or mesh obstructing visibility shouldn’t be used in commercial and passenger vehicles. Rule 100(2) of CMVR lays down clear standards for tinted glass While neither Motor Vehicles Act nor CMVR specifically mentions ‘curtains’. The windscreen and rear window must allow at least 70% visual light transmission while side windows must allow at least 50%. A senior traffic official said tinted-glass violations are generally booked under Rule 100(2), read with Section 177 of MV Act. The penalty is Rs 500 for the first offence and Rs 1,500 for subsequent offences. As per data, till Aug 31, DTP issued 773 challans for curtains, compared with 1,202 during the corresponding period in 2025, a decline of 36%. Tinted-glass cases also fell from 89 to 47, down 47%. Overall, enforcement against buses increased, with 44,564 spot challans till Aug 31 against 36,332 in 2025. Improper parking was the biggest offence with 22,778 challans, up from 10,117 in 2025. Permit violations fell from 9,976 to 7,965 while cases of plying without a permit dropped from 2,064 to 978. RC violations declined from 3,930 to 3,387 while SC violations, mostly linked to dangerous driving, rose from 1,809 to 2,311. Among private buses, 29,457 challans were recorded till July 31, up from 21,585 in 2025. Parking violations rose from 6,816 to 16,355 while permit violations fell from 8,276 to 6,734.
However, sources said these conditions primarily apply to buses operating under Delhi permits and may not directly cover private interstate buses. Officials said any modification obstructing visibility violates basic safety norms. Delhi’s permit conditions prohibit them to ensure activities inside a moving bus remain visible from outside While curtains are commonly seen in private interstate buses. Further, the driver’s details, bus owner’s phone number, transport department and Delhi Police helplines, and registration number must be prominently displayed inside.
Former deputy commissioner Anil Chhikara, who was DTO in 2012 when the permit conditions were introduced, said the curtain restriction brought in after the Nirbhaya case primarily applies to buses operating under Delhi permits. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
“There could be differences in permit conditions across states, but interstate buses should not be exempt from basic visibility and safety norms while operating in Delhi,” he added. Download the TOI App.