Mumbai: The transport department’s crackdown on auto and taxi drivers lacking basic Marathi proficiency continued for the second consecutive day across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with 722 of the 3,942 drivers inspected failing the test and being issued one-month show-cause notices. The failure rate stood at 18%.Across the rest of Maharashtra, RTO squads checked 5,211 drivers and found 777 unable to communicate in basic Marathi, resulting in notices being issued. The failure rate outside the MMR was around 15%. Sources said that within Greater Mumbai, the failure rate of drivers in Marathi proficiency was around 25-30%.Drivers who received notices said they were willing to learn Marathi but lacked access to training facilities. “The RTO offices informed us that the Marathi classes have been stopped. We now have to depend on unions or social media tutorials to learn the language,” said a driver from Mumbai’s western suburbs.A senior transport official said drivers would have to make their own arrangements to acquire functional Marathi skills. “Our role is to conduct inspections and issue notices. They will be re-tested within a month. Failure to clear the test could lead to suspension of licences,” the official said.Sources said many drivers are likely to approach organisations such as the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh for assistance through special language classes. Union leaders Shashank Rao and Thampy Kurien have urged the government to extend training programmes and introduce an online learning system for drivers.Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik reiterated that the objective was not to deprive anyone of employment but to ensure drivers can communicate effectively with passengers while respecting Maharashtra’s linguistic and cultural identity. He noted that the move gained added significance after Marathi was granted Classical Language status.Meanwhile, the transport department has also begun testing the practical Marathi-speaking ability of applicants seeking new auto-rickshaw, taxi and aggregator cab permits through direct interaction with RTO officials, with the entire verification process now being video-recorded.
