A total of 777 auto and taxi drivers have been issued notices in Maharashtra after their failed to demonstrate basic proficiency in spoken Marathi. The notices were served after 5,211 drivers were tested by the Maharashtra Transport Department to check their practical knowledge of spoken Marathi. The drivers who “failed” this test have been granted a period of one month to learn the language, failing which, they may lose their license. The crackdown by the state began on the 20th of August. The state had announced a 15th August deadline for auto and taxi drivers to learn funcational marathi. Reports indicate that the inspection of auto and taxi drivers is to continue till the 30th of September 2026.
The rules were notified by the Maharashtra government through a Gazette notification dated June 12, 2026. The government had earlier allowed drivers 100 days to acquire the required language skills. A three-month training programme was subsequently conducted, with the deadline extended to August 15 following opposition from driver unions.
Why is Maharashtra making it compulsory for auto and taxi drivers to know Marathi
The government has claimed that the reason for making functional knowledge of Marathi language compulsory is because they want auto and taxi drivers to be able to communicate with passengers effectively in the native language of the state. Officials claim that they have received several complaints from passengers of drivers not being able to communicate with them in Marathi.
The campaign by the state government started after Mira-Bhayandar RTO conducted an inspection and found several drivers not being able to communicate in Marathi. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik subsequently announced that drivers would have to know Marathi. The department began a 105-day campaign on May 1 across 59 RTOs, sub-RTOs and language training centres.
The requirement has reportedly triggered anxiety among several commerical drivers since many of them are migrants from other states. The concern is that most taxi and auto drivers hardly have any formal education and just with a 4-session training, they perhaps would not be able to learn a new language at all.
The issue has particular significance in Mumbai, which has more than 2.8 lakh autorickshaw permits and around 20,000 taxi permits, covering an estimated five lakh drivers across shifts.
What are the consequences for auto and taxi drivers if they fail to learn Marathi
Failure to comply with the requirements could result in the drivers losing their license and authorisation to drive commercial vehicles in the state of Maharashtra. However, the ones who fail the proficiency test won’t be rendered jobless immediately. They would be given 1 month to learn Marathi and appear for the test again.
Rule 24(3) of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 allows suspension of the authorisation for up to three months if a driver fails to meet the requirement. Continued non-compliance can lead to cancellation of the authorisation.
Rules 4(4), 78 and 85 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 make working knowledge of Marathi a condition linked to permit renewals. The requirement also extends to app-based motor cab drivers operating vehicles fitted with electronic meters.
While the rules already existed, the implementation was never strict, however, now the implementation has been enforced by the state.
What is the legality of the move
While the Maharashtra government has cited Rule 24 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to implement the language requirement, a 2017 case could throw a spanner in their plans. In 2017, the Bombay High Court set aside a Transport Department decision requiring Marathi proficiency for auto rickshaw permits. The court had said that autos are considered ‘Motor cabs’. Rule 24 imposes language requirements on certain Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badges, which specifically excludes motor cabs.
The High Court had, therefore, said that the government cannot impose language requirement on auto drivers.
The transport department, however, has insisted that the enforecement is in tun with existing provisions of the law.
