Mumbai: For Ramesh Bind, driving an autorickshaw in Mumbai for the past eleven years has been the only way to support his family back in Bihar. Now, a government-mandated language test stands between him and his livelihood. Maharashtra has launched an enforcement drive of an existing but long-dormant RTO rule that requires all auto and taxi drivers to be able to read, write, and speak Marathi in order to hold a valid permit. A pilot verification drive is currently underway in Mira-Bhayandar, covering over 12,000 drivers.
Maharashtra Launches Enforcement Drive
Officials are conducting on-the-spot Marathi language tests at RTO offices alongside verification of permits and domicile certificates. Drivers who fail the test or carry invalid documents risk suspension or cancellation of their licence and permit.
"I have been driving here for over a decade. I know every road and every lane. But I never formally learnt to read or write Marathi. Where do I go now?" said Bind, who sends nearly half his monthly earnings to his family in Buxar.
Officials Conduct On-The-Spot Marathi Tests
The anxiety is equally evident among drivers from southern states. "I came from Karnataka fifteen years ago. My children were born here. This city is my home. But if my permit is cancelled, I have nothing," said Suresh Kumar, who operates in the Andheri area.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik confirmed that Marathi proficiency is already mandated under RTO rules and that enforcement will expand across the state once the pilot phase concludes.
For drivers like Mohammed Salim from UP, the uncertainty is the most difficult part. "We are not against learning Marathi. We just need time. Cancelling our permits overnight will destroy our families," he said.
With thousands of non-Marathi-speaking drivers dependent on their permits for daily survival, the enforcement drive has triggered a quiet but deepening crisis on Mumbai’s streets.Shashank Rao, President of the Taxi Men’s Association, said, "The government had imposed a similar rule earlier as well. Once permits have already been issued, what is the need to verify this again? Basic Marathi is required to communicate with passengers, and drivers already possess that."
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