Mumbai: Autorickshaw and taxi drivers who fail to demonstrate a working knowledge of Marathi during checks starting August 18 will be given a month to learn the language and appear for a short test before their licences are suspended, according to officials from the state transport department.
Since the state announced the policy in April, transport unions, RTOs and political organisations have organised Marathi training sessions and assessments for drivers across Mumbai. The move effectively grants drivers of passenger transport vehicles a one-month extension to acquire the required proficiency in Marathi. “We will be issuing notices to all those who fail to converse in Marathi. They will be given a month to retake the test and pass.
RTO officials will begin the language checks from August 18, as planned. The transport department had earlier set August 15 as the deadline for drivers to meet the Marathi-language requirement.
Drivers who fail the language test even after the extension period would face a three-month suspension of their driving licence, followed by cancellation for a repeat violation, officials said. If they fail again, we will suspend their licence for three months,” said an RTO officer. “There are drivers who waited for 8-10 hours for their turn, but were asked to leave in the evening as there were so many others still taking the tests,” said Bhola Singh, a taxi driver from Wadala.
The government amended the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to empower the licensing authority to take action against drivers. On August 12, state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik had said that drivers of passenger transport vehicles need to have a working knowledge of Marathi to ensure effective communication with commuters.
Earlier this week, the state government had said that drivers who failed to meet the Marathi-language requirement could have their licences suspended for three months, with repeat violations resulting in permanent cancellation.
