Transport ministry introduces fire protection system in passenger, school buses

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a fire alarm system and fire protection system in the passenger and school buses. The ministry issued a notification stating that the anti-fire system has been introduced through an amendment in the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-135 for Type III buses.

'Type III' buses are those that have been designed and constructed for long-distance passenger transport for seated passengers and school buses. The fire detection, alarm and suppression systems at present are notified for fires originating from the engine compartment, as per AIS-135. As per studies, fire incidents in buses cause injuries to passengers mainly due to heat and smoke in the passenger compartment.

The transport ministry notification stated that these injuries can be prevented if the heat and smoke in the passenger compartment are controlled by providing an additional evacuation time to occupants by thermal management during fire incidents. Thus, an active fire protection system based on water mist and a standalone fire alarm system have been designed for buses to manage the temperature in the passenger compartment within 50 degrees centigrade.

The said amendment to the standard for Type III vehicles has been undertaken in consultation with stakeholders and experts from the Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) - a DRDO establishment. CFEES works in the area of fire risk assessment, fire suppression technologies, modelling and simulation.

(with inputs from ANI)