Mumbai: Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union and a city lawyer have warned that they will move Bombay HC against govt’s decision to make proficiency in Marathi mandatory for auto and taxi drivers from May 1. Multiple other unions are expected to meet in early May to decide their next course of action, including possible agitation.The lawyer, Faiyaz Alam Shaikh, sent a notice on Thursday to transport ministry officials, demanding the suspension or withdrawal of the “arbitrary, unreasonable, discriminatory and unconstitutional order” in 15 days, failing which he said he’ll file a public interest litigation in HC. “Under the proposed enforcement, drivers will have to read short passages, write simple text and hold basic oral conversations related to fares and routes. Repeated failure could lead to suspension or cancellation of licences, badges or public service vehicle permits,” he said in the notice. The state has justified the move to impose Marathi tests under Rule 24 of Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, as amended in 2019. A pilot verification drive has already begun in Mira-Bhayander, where officials inspected 1,817 drivers and found 111 allegedly unable to communicate adequately in Marathi. Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has said the verification drive will be rolled out across 59 regional and sub-regional transport offices, warning that the licences of those failing the test would be cancelled. Many drivers and unions said existing badge holders already met the requirement of possessing a working knowledge of Marathi when they entered the profession.
