As the Maharashtra government’s crackdown on non-Marathi speaking auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers entered its second day on Friday, fewer commercial passenger vehicles were seen plying on roads in parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with several drivers opting to stay off the roads amid fears of being served notices and facing eventual suspension of their licences and badges.
Mohammed was among 1,268 drivers served notices on the first day of the statewide checking drive on Thursday for inadequate “working knowledge of Marathi”. Across Maharashtra, 8,217 drivers were tested on the first day, including 3,995 in the MMR, where 604 were found lacking the required proficiency. In the rest of the state, 4,222 drivers were tested and 664 were issued notices.
Mohammed said he had been trying for weeks to secure admission to a Marathi training class at the RTO or other local language training facilities but had been unable to do so. “I now have no choice but to resort to private Marathi tutoring; I have no idea how much it will cost,” he said.
Continuing with the crackdown on Friday, regional transport offices (RTOs) deployed multiple flying squads across areas including Kurla, Thane, Dadar and Mumbai Central. In Thane, four flying squads comprising three officers each were deployed to conduct on-ground checks of drivers’ “working knowledge of Marathi”.
After checking licences and public service vehicle badges, officers asked drivers basic questions about their names and places of birth, followed by questions related to passenger etiquette, routes, fares and road safety norms in Marathi. The test focuses on practical, everyday communication rather than formal fluency.
“The goal is not to impede drivers but to simply verify whether they have basic Marathi proficiency that could be used to communicate effectively with passengers,” said Hemangini Patil, Thane RTO Chief. On Friday, officers continued checks, while the number of auto-rickshaws plying on roads in Thane and those crossing toll nakas was also reported to have reduced as drivers remained wary of the statewide testing campaign.
The enforcement drive will continue till September 30 and covers commercial passenger vehicle drivers. Those found lacking the required proficiency are being issued notices and given one month to acquire basic Marathi skills. If they fail to demonstrate adequate knowledge during a subsequent check, their badges can be suspended for three months, with further action possible in case of repeated violations.
Like Mohammed, other migrant commercial passenger vehicle drivers are now looking for ways to learn the language.
Fifty-nine-year-old Manoj Shah from Chembur has procured the 15-point Marathi course booklet made available to drivers through the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh and Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad after failing to secure admission to a class despite weeks of attempts. He now practises the phrases daily ahead of the RTO’s on-road assessment.
The drive has also affected some native Marathi-speaking drivers. A Maharashtrian auto driver who visited the Borivali RTO for permit renewal was reportedly asked to return later despite being fluent in Marathi. “I was told that they (RTO officials) lack the device for video recording the Marathi interaction during permit renewal and was asked to appear later,” the driver told The Indian Express.
The specific issue comes against the backdrop of State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik mandating certification of Marathi proficiency during vehicle permit applications and renewals, along with video recording of the interaction. Maharashtra currently has 9.65 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi permits.
The overall enforcement campaign follows the state’s 105-day drive to teach non-Marathi speakers basic language proficiency through four, one-hour sessions across RTOs and language training centres with a deadline of August 15.
