Maharashtra’s autorickshaw and taxi unions welcomed the government’s decision to give non-Marathi drivers another year to acquire working knowledge of Marathi. The extension eases immediate livelihood concerns, while unions plan additional classes to help drivers meet the language requirement
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accused the Maharashtra government of threatening autorickshaw drivers’ livelihoods by allowing bike taxis. He claimed Rapido’s expansion could hurt Marathi youth dependent on autos and alleged political-business links between the aggregator and state ministers
RTOs across Maharashtra issued notices to 331 autorickshaw and taxi drivers for failing to demonstrate working knowledge of Marathi. The latest checks covered 4,807 drivers, taking the statewide total to 35,190 vehicles inspected and 4,729 notices issued since August 20
Protests by autorickshaw and taxi drivers erupted across Mumbai amid fears of steep fines over the state’s Marathi proficiency requirement. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that drivers need only basic work-related Marathi, while Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik warned action against officials issuing premature fines
Maharashtra has made working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for cab and autorickshaw drivers and permit holders under amended motor vehicle rules. Non-compliance may lead to suspension or revocation of licence authorisation. The move has drawn mixed reactions from political leaders
Rahul Gandhi criticised the Modi government over inflation and the financial struggles of autorickshaw drivers, saying rising costs have crippled livelihoods. After interacting with drivers in Delhi, he promised to raise their concerns in Parliament and accused the government of ignoring their hardships
The incident occurred when few auto-rickshaw drivers parked their vehicles near the hotel on the main road and the hotel staff allegedly started hurling abuses at them
