The question mark surrounding the requirement for auto and taxi drivers in Mumbai to know Marathi is growing. Some drivers have started a three-day strike in protest against the language test, which has caused problems for passengers on the streets of Mumbai. Passengers have had to wait for autos and taxis for 40-50 minutes.
The Marathi knowledge check among auto and taxi drivers is being conducted by officials of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) since August 21st in various areas, from South Mumbai to the suburbs. Drivers who do not possess basic knowledge of Marathi are issued a memorandum and given one month to study the language. If the driver cannot demonstrate the required information after this month, their badge may be suspended for three months. This rule also applies to app-based taxi drivers.
Taxi drivers claim that learning Marathi is not difficult for them, but their protest is related to the testing method. They accuse RTO officials of asking questions that were not included in their training. Kisun Yadav, a taxi driver from Kandivali, noted that many drivers have low levels of education, and some are illiterate, making it a difficult task to learn a new language in a short period.
Drivers also point out that attending Marathi lessons leads to loss of income, as they depend on daily earnings, and it is difficult for them to quit their jobs for classes.
The Maharashtra government states that this rule was not introduced suddenly. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik stated that the requirement to have practical knowledge of Marathi has existed in Maharashtra since 1989, although it was not strictly enforced before. Now, following changes in the rules in 2026, it is being implemented.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized that the government does not aim to make Hindi speakers experts in Marathi. Drivers only need to know Marathi at a level sufficient to perform their job. Approximately 1.65 lakh drivers have undergone Marathi training and received the corresponding certificates.
According to the Transport Department data, on the first day, the check was conducted among 8,217 drivers across the state, of whom 1,268 received notifications. In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, 3,995 drivers were tested, and 604 of them could not demonstrate the required level of Marathi knowledge. In total, about 9.65 lakh auto and taxi drivers are licensed in Maharashtra, which is causing concern among the drivers regarding this rule.
On Monday, auto and taxi drivers staged a road blockade in Kandivali, accusing authorities of intimidating and harassing them during the implementation of the language rule. Despite existing traffic problems in Mumbai due to rain, the shortage of autos and taxis has exacerbated discomfort for passengers. Drivers state that they do not object to learning Marathi, but demand that the language test be practical and that they be given sufficient time.
