Maha: Action against drivers who don't know Marathi

Mumbai, Maharashtra - Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced on Wednesday a campaign to target auto‑rickshaw and taxi drivers lacking proficiency in Marathi. Drivers without a Marathi certificate or knowledge will first receive notices, with license and badge suspensions of three months looming should compliance remain elusive, reported Sarnaik to journalists. Ravi Gaikwad, the Additional Transport Commissioner, will spearhead the month-long initiative across the state.

The Regional Transport Office’s flying squads have received video conference instructions to enforce the amended rules, with video recording of the verification process also mandated. Earlier, Sarnaik highlighted a provision in the revised motor vehicle rules, stating that drivers would have the chance to learn Marathi before facing penalties.

However, this announcement did little to quell concerns among non-Marathi-speaking drivers who fear job loss due to the ambiguous “working knowledge” requirement in the mandatory language rule.

Commercial passenger drivers from other regions of the country, who lack Marathi proficiency, worry about losing their livelihoods despite assurances from the state government that they will receive ample learning time, including a 30-day notice before permits are withdrawn. The state government has made Marathi proficiency mandatory for drivers, but the precise meaning of “working knowledge” remains unclear, according to DM Gosavi, leader of the Seva Sarathi Autorickshaw Taxi and Transport Union.

Gosavi expressed apprehension that this ambiguity could foster corruption within the RTO and enable financial exploitation of drivers.

Nearly six lakh auto‑rickshaw and taxi drivers in Maharashtra, especially those operating in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, will undergo a Marathi-language learning program, Sarnaik informed on Tuesday. Over 1.65 lakh drivers from across the country have already enrolled in the Marathi-learning initiative launched a few months ago, with 1,65,601 drivers from Maharashtra registering, he added.

The Marathi Language Department will collaborate with the Transport Department and other officials to bolster the initiative. Sarnaik justified the drive, stating that the government aims for people to learn the language and has decided to pursue this project.