MUMBAI: City commuters faced a harrowing start to the week on Monday as a shortage of autorickshaws and taxis across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) disrupted morning travel, particularly on feeder routes connecting residential areas to railway stations.With more than half of auto drivers reportedly staying off the roads, thousands of office-goers were left stranded during peak hours. Autorickshaw-taxi unions, however, said there was no official call for a strike.The disruption comes amid growing unease among drivers over the state government’s recent mandate requiring auto and taxi operators to demonstrate a working knowledge of Marathi. Under the new rules, drivers who fail to meet the requirement may first receive a one-month show-cause notice to improve their conversational Marathi skills. Failure to comply could lead to suspension of licences for three months, followed by cancellation of both licence and permit in cases of continued non-compliance.The impact was immediately visible across several suburbs. Commuters reported unusually long waits for autorickshaws during rush hour, with many forced to rely on alternative modes of transport or arrive late at work.An office-goer from Kandivali described the situation as unprecedented. “There was an acute shortage of rickshaws. I got one after 25 minutes on Monday morning, while normally I get one within a minute. The driver told me many autos were off the road because of the Marathi language issue,” he said.Auto unions claim that fear of enforcement action has prompted many drivers to stay away from work. A union leader said the association is consulting senior legal counsel over the show-cause notices being issued to drivers yet to demonstrate sufficient Marathi proficiency.“The notice asks drivers to learn Marathi within a month, but where is the proper facility to learn the language?” he questioned. He argued that Marathi-learning programmes conducted in recent months have not provided drivers with the practical skills needed for everyday conversations with commuters. Kurien also called for the resumption of online classes, saying they would be more accessible and convenient for drivers seeking to comply with the new regulations.
