A police official speaks to a taxi driver outside Dadar railway station after the Maharashtra government began enforcing a requirement that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers demonstrate a working knowledge of Marathi, making language proficiency a condition for continuing work, in Mumbai, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Maharashtra Transport Department served notices to 777 drivers found lacking practical Marathi language, and a total of 5,211 drivers were tested in Mumbai and other parts of the State, officials said on Saturday (August 22, 2026).
On the third day of the Statewide inspection campaign, drivers found to lack working knowledge of practical Marathi were sent a notice and asked to learn Marathi within a period of one month.
The drive began on August 20, after the August 15 deadline for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to learn mandatory functional Marathi had ended. A total of 5,211 drivers were inspected across the State, including 3,942 in Mumbai.
“Drivers are being given sufficient time to learn Marathi. However, strict action will be taken against those who do not follow the rules even after the given deadline,” explained Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
This inspection campaign will continue till September 30, 2026. For the last 105 days, the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh have been implementing the ‘Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Marathi Language Campaign’ for rickshaw and taxi drivers in the State. Around 1.65 lakh rickshaw and taxi drivers responded to this campaign and took Marathi training. Certificates were given to the participating drivers in the presence of Padma Shri veteran writer Madhu Mangesh Karnik, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Minister Uday Samant at the Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane.
How is the state conducting the drive?
According to the Transport Department authority, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) has deployed Marshals to take exams on the State’s roads. RTO Marshals and officials are visiting busy rickshaw stands or junctions, including Dahisar Check Naka, Dadar station road, and Andheri station road and grilling drivers with question-and-answer, making it a whole session.
Where do you want to go? Please start the meter. How much time will it take to get there? Do you have change? How do I pay you, cash or online? Where is the rickshaw stand? Please pay xxx amount, and the others are the questions and statements reflecting everyday conversations asked by exam inspectors.
Some of these questions were part of their syllabus taught during a 105-day Marathi training and assessment drive.
Test while issuing new badges
9.65 lakh rickshaw-taxi licenses and badges have been issued in the State. Mumbai has 4,62,387 rickshaw and taxi license holders. From August 15 onwards, the RTO officials have been checking whether the driver has practical knowledge of Marathi or not through direct interaction and will record it on video. Minister Sarnaik also said that the badge will be issued only after it is clear that he has practical knowledge of Marathi.
Marathi proficiency for taxi, autorickshaw and app-based cab drivers in the State is mandatory under the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, implemented this year under the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2026. From May 1 onwards, the government declared that drivers have to demonstrate Marathi knowledge. However, due to flak from unions, the three-month functional Marathi training programme was launched, with an extended deadline to August 15.
Rule 4(4), Rule 78, and Rule 85 of the Act made working knowledge of Marathi compulsory for permit renewals. The same requirement will also apply to app-based motor cab drivers operating vehicles with electronic meters. If any driver fails to comply with the rules, then under Provision 22(3A) they will face action for non-compliance, including suspension of licences for up to three months or cancellation.
Published – August 23, 2026 07:16 am IST
