LUCKNOW, Oct. 31 -- Locked emergency exits, non-functional fire extinguishers, and serious technical faults were among the major safety lapses detected during a two-day inspection drive by the Lucknow Regional Transport Office (RTO), which found 12 out of 58 private sleeper buses unfit for operation. The large-scale inspection followed a spate of sleeper bus fire incidents in the state capital, prompting urgent checks to assess the condition and safety compliance of private passenger vehicles operating in and around Lucknow.

During the inspection conducted on October 29 and 30, enforcement teams checked 58 private sleeper buses parked in Transport Nagar and nearby areas. Of these, 12 were declared unfit for operation, while over 10 other...