Maharashtra taxi, auto drivers face Marathi language test by RTOs

Maharashtra RTOs have launched a statewide drive to test the working knowledge of Marathi among taxi and autorickshaw drivers. Those unable to answer a 16-question test satisfactorily will receive one-month notices and face badge suspension if they fail again.

Mumbai: Taxi and autorickshaw drivers in Maharashtra are being put through a 16-question test after the transport department launched a statewide drive on Thursday to check their working knowledge of Marathi.

Teams from Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) are issuing one-month notices to those unable to answer satisfactorily and warning that their badges would be suspended if they fail a subsequent test, officials said.

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“Mala CNG bharayche aahe. Thode thambave lagel” (I need to fill up with CNG, we’ll have to stop for a while); “majhi rickshaw/taxi sharingchi aahe” (my auto/taxi is a shared one); and “meter chalu kele aahe” (have started the meter) are among the routine responses that officials expect from the drivers.

The exercise, announced by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday, is being conducted as part of the state government’s move to make working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for drivers of taxis, autorickshaws and app-based cabs.

A senior RTO official said a 16-question questionnaire was received from the Transport Commissioner’s office and was based on the Marathi language training imparted to taxi and autorickshaw drivers by the Konkan Sahitya Parishad, which ended on Independence Day.

According to RTO officials, the questions have been designed around situations that drivers encounter in their daily work rather than testing formal knowledge of the language. They include asking passengers where they want to go, understanding destinations and directions, and communicating about fares, meters, routes and taxi or autorickshaw stands.

“We have started checking whether the drivers know Marathi. Those who do not know the language will be issued a one-month notice and asked to learn Marathi within that period.

“If, after one month, they are still unable to answer the questions satisfactorily, their badge will be suspended for three months. They will again be given a month to learn the language. This action will continue,” said an RTO inspector conducting the check at Dadar in central Mumbai.

The transport department has also directed RTO officials to videograph the exercise.

Announcing the month-long drive on Wednesday, minister Sarnaik had said that the government did not intend to affect anyone’s livelihood but wanted to ensure that the Marathi language and the state’s identity and culture were preserved.

He said 1.65 lakh drivers had already undergone Marathi training and been issued certificates during a 105-day campaign, which received a good response.

The move follows the state government’s decision to make working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for taxi and autorickshaw drivers in Maharashtra. The state government has recently amended the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to give effect to the requirement.

Some leaders of taxi and autorickshaw drivers’ unions have questioned what they claimed was a lack of a clear definition of “working knowledge” of Marathi in the rules.

“The Maharashtra government has recently amended the law to make working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for rickshaw and taxi drivers, but what is meant by working knowledge is not clearly defined. Obviously, it will fuel corruption in the RTOs,” DM Gosavi, leader of the Seva Sarathi Taxi Union, said.

The union leaders have also threatened to launch an agitation if the drive leads to financial exploitation of drivers.

Retired RTO officials also said the rules did not prescribe a detailed test or a standardised benchmark for assessing working knowledge.

“The working knowledge of Marathi is not clearly defined in the amended rules. It should have been clarified whether the RTO should conduct an oral or written test of drivers before issuing a badge,” said a former RTO official, requesting anonymity.

According to Sarnaik, the requirement of practical Marathi knowledge for operating autos and taxis has existed in Maharashtra since 1989 but had not been strictly enforced. The provision will now be implemented strictly under a relevant legal amendment made on August 12.