Auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in Mumbai's Kandivali area staged a protest against the Maharashtra Transport Department's Marathi proficiency requirement, arguing that the enforcement is unfair to drivers who have worked in the city for decades. The protesters parked their vehicles and began a three-day strike, briefly affecting traffic movement on Kandivali Link Road while demanding relief from penalties linked to the language requirement.
The Maharashtra Transport Department has been conducting checks to ensure that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers demonstrate basic working knowledge of Marathi. According to State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Maharashtra has around 9.65 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, of whom about 1.65 lakh have undergone Marathi training and received certificates. Regional Transport Offices have also been issuing notices to drivers who fail to demonstrate adequate proficiency.
Under the enforcement process, drivers who are found lacking the required language skills are being given one month to learn Marathi. Failure to comply can result in suspension of their driver badge for three months, while continued refusal to meet the requirement could lead to action to permanently cancel the badge and permit. The department's stated objective is to ensure that drivers can communicate with passengers during routine journeys and work-related situations.
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Several protesters said they already understand or speak some Marathi but are unable to demonstrate fluency. One driver said he could respond in "broken Marathi" and could read the language but needed more time to improve his conversational skills. Another driver, who said he knew Gujarati, Punjabi and English, questioned why workers should face penalties for not knowing a particular regional language.
Some older drivers also raised concerns about their ability to learn the language at this stage of their lives. One driver told news agency ANI that he was 55-60 years old and had never attended school, making it difficult for him to meet the requirement. Protesters also alleged that they had been driving in Mumbai for 40-50 years and had managed to communicate in Marathi to some extent but were now facing notices and penalties over their proficiency.
The department's basic proficiency assessment involves 16 questions related to everyday situations encountered by drivers, including communicating with passengers and visiting fuel stations. Examples include phrases for asking to stop for CNG refuelling, informing passengers that a vehicle is shared and indicating that the meter has been switched on. While authorities have maintained the requirement as part of the regulatory process, the protest has brought renewed attention to the difficulties faced by long-serving drivers who are seeking additional time and flexibility to meet the language requirement.
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