ARAI eases bus body certification with support cell, simplified docs, 50% cost cut
ARAI is making bus body certification in India faster and cheaper with a new Support Cell, simplified paperwork, and a roughly 50% cut in type approval costs.
- 13 passengers plus driver
- 22 passengers excluding driver
- Rs. 14 lakh + GST
- About 50%
What Happened
ARAI has introduced new initiatives to help bus body builders certify their bus bodies, including a Support Cell that assists with document preparation and guides builders through the entire certification process. The agency also created a dedicated webpage with bus body certification information and simplified document formats such as variant lists and checklists to resolve Worst-Case Selection Criteria. In the pre-application stage, ARAI provides technical and design support for bus body development. These services aim to improve ease of compliance and enable timely, cost-effective certification.
GSR 159 (E) made bus body certification mandatory for all buses with seating capacity of 13 passengers plus driver and above.
MoRTH Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that new buses, including inter-city and sleeper coaches, won't be registered by RTOs without inspection of all mandatory safety features.
ARAI introduces support initiatives including a Support Cell and optimised pricing for bus body certification.
- Support Cell to handhold builders through certification and document preparation
- Dedicated webpage outlining bus body certification information in an accessible format
- Technical and design support during the pre-application stage
- Simplified document formats (variant lists, checklists) to resolve Worst-Case Selection Criteria
- Substantially optimised pricing structures to encourage widespread adoption
Rs. 14 lakh + GST
About 50% reduction from a normal case; process can be completed in 60–90 days depending on applicant readiness.
“We want to assist the bus body builders in their certification process at all stages including development and testing before they apply for certification. This will ensure that safety remains our utmost priority and consequently a reliable transport system for the public is built in our country.”
The Bus Body Code is issued under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and formalized through amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR). It governs the design, construction, and approval of bus bodies, with AIS 052 serving as the primary standard for all buses in scope. For buses exceeding 22 passengers excluding the driver, AIS 153 adds requirements for fire safety, emergency exits, structural safety, and passenger comfort. The framework also includes AIS-119 (Rev.1) for sleeper buses and AIS-063 for school buses. Under the new regime, vehicle manufacturers, bus body builders, and the respective RTO must upload the filled safety checklist on the government's VAHAN portal.
Why this matters
Bus body builders in India now get hands-on help from ARAI to meet mandatory safety certification, lowering costs and speeding up approvals. This matters because compliance is required for all buses with 13 or more passengers plus driver, and better safety checks affect every passenger and the wider transport industry.
Terms in This Story
- AIS
- Automotive Industry Standards, technical standards for vehicles notified by the Indian government.
- CMVR
- Central Motor Vehicles Rules, the rulebook that implements India's Motor Vehicles Act.
- RTO
- Regional Transport Office, a government office that registers vehicles and issues licenses in India.
- Type approval
- A certification process confirming that a vehicle or component meets regulatory standards before production.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.