Mumbai: The Transport Department on Wednesday launched its Marathi language training programme for non-Marathi auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers at the Wadala Regional Transport Office (RTO). A total of 70 drivers participated in the first day of the initiative, which aims to help drivers communicate more effectively with passengers in Marathi.
The programme has been introduced to enable non-Marathi drivers to speak, understand and use Marathi in their day-to-day interactions. Conducted with the support of the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, the classes will now be held regularly at the Wadala RTO.
Each training session will be of one-hour duration and will focus on commonly used Marathi words and phrases required for daily passenger interactions. Drivers will be taught practical expressions such as "Please come", "Please sit", "Don't worry", "Where would you like to go?", and "The fare will be as per the meter", among others.
Officials said the response on the opening day was encouraging, with 70 drivers attending the inaugural session. The programme is expected to be expanded further, with plans to open additional training centres to accommodate more drivers in the coming months.
After completing four days of training, participants will undergo an oral assessment and will be awarded a certificate upon successful completion. The certificate will be considered an important document during the driving licence renewal process. Authorities believe the initiative will strengthen communication between drivers and passengers while promoting the use of Marathi in everyday public interactions.
"Teaching Marathi to drivers is a matter of great satisfaction for us. We are happy with the response received on the first day and appeal to more volunteers to come forward and support the initiative," says Vidya Prabhu, Mumbai District President, Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad.
"The first session witnessed participation from 70 drivers. The classes will be conducted regularly, and efforts are underway to open more centres so that a larger number of drivers can benefit from the programme," says Pallavi Kothawade, Regional Transport Officer, Wadala RTO
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