Maharashtra: Sarnaik Says Marathi Training To Continue Amid Taxi, Autorickshaw Row

Mr. Sarnaik said no taxi or auto-rickshaw driver had been fined even Rs 500 under the drive, while alleging that rumours were being deliberately spread that drivers had been penalised Rs 20,000-25,000. His remarks came a day after former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the Maharashtra government’s decision to make working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers. Mr. Yadav said such a condition could undermine the constitutional right to work and do business across the country.

Shashank Rao, president of the Mumbai Autorickshaw-Taximens Union, met Mr. Sarnaik on Tuesday and demanded a three-month extension for providing Marathi language training to auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers. He also submitted a letter to the transport minister.

According to the letter, around 5.5 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers operate in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), while the figure is 15 lakhs across the State. Of these, 60-70 per cent are non-Marathi-speaking drivers. Given the limited number of Marathi language training centres, it was not possible to train all drivers within the 2.6-month period, the letter said.

“Most of the drivers have not yet undergone Marathi language training. Therefore, an additional three-month extension should be granted to provide non-Marathi-speaking drivers with practical knowledge of Marathi,” Mr. Rao said.

The Maharashtra Transport Department, with the help of the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, had launched a 105-day ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Marathi Language Campaign’ for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.

In May 2026, the Transport Department announced that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in the State would have to learn Marathi by August 15. During the campaign, 1,65,800 drivers learned Marathi and received certificates.

However, RTO officials have since started issuing notices to drivers who are unable to speak Marathi. This has prompted some non-Marathi-speaking drivers to avoid routes where RTO officials are deployed, causing concern among commuters.

Mr. Sarnaik said non-Marathi-speaking auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers operating in Maharashtra were required to have practical knowledge of Marathi to communicate with passengers. The language training programme would continue, he said.

He said the initiative had received a positive response from drivers, who had expressed their commitment to respecting Maharashtra’s identity and culture. Workshops would continue through the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh for drivers yet to undergo training.

“A list of training centres in Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi, Nalasopara, Vasai-Virar and Navi Mumbai has been provided to the concerned RTO officers. A dedicated contact number will soon be announced through the RTOs to provide information about the training centres,” he said.

Mr. Sarnaik alleged that some anti-social elements were deliberately attempting to disturb the atmosphere in Mumbai and the Thane region and appealed to citizens not to believe rumours.

“The government is continuously engaging in dialogue with office-bearers and leaders of auto-rickshaw and taxi unions, and its position is that no one will be subjected to wrongful action. The government is one that creates jobs, not takes them away,” the transport minister said.

Mr. Sarnaik further alleged that certain people were attempting to create unrest in Mumbai and Thane with an eye on the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh and Bihar elections. He claimed that some leaders from these States were deliberately sharing videos purportedly showing auto-rickshaws being transported by trains to North India, with songs such as “Hum To Chale Pardes” playing in the background, even though the vehicles were operating within Maharashtra.