14 August,2026 04:58 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
The union has asked the transport department to increase the number of operational Marathi training centres. File Pic
The Mumbai Autorickshaw-Taximens Union has urged Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to extend the deadline for mandatory practical Marathi language training for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers by three months.
A statement, issued by union president Shashank Rao, said that the organisation said the existing deadline and available training infrastructure were not sufficient to train the state's large commercial driver workforce.
The Maharashtra government has set August 15, 2026, as the deadline for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to complete practical Marathi language training. The union said drivers who fail to comply could face punitive action.
The organisation has requested that enforcement action be kept on hold during the proposed three-month extension.
According to the union, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has more than 5.5 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, while Maharashtra has more than 15 lakh drivers in total.
It claimed that around 60 to 70 per cent of the drivers are non-Marathi speakers and would require proper training to learn practical Marathi.
The union said learning functional Marathi could take around three to four weeks for an individual driver, making it difficult to train the entire workforce within the existing timeframe.
The union has asked the transport department to increase the number of operational Marathi training centres so that more drivers can complete the course.
It has also called for permanent training centres across Maharashtra, allowing newly licensed drivers to undergo language training on an ongoing basis.
The union further requested that routine transport department services for drivers should not be stopped or delayed because of pending Marathi training certificates.
The union warned that taking action against drivers without providing sufficient training facilities could affect their daily income and create difficulties for thousands of families dependent on the sector.
It also cautioned that large-scale enforcement could affect the availability of autorickshaws and taxis and disrupt public transport services across Mumbai and the wider MMR.
