Amin Patel Urges Maharashtra Government to Extend Marathi Deadline for Drivers

Mumbai: Congress MLA and Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislative Party Amin Patel has urged Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to extend the deadline for non-Marathi-speaking taxi and autorickshaw drivers to acquire practical knowledge of Marathi.

In a letter addressed to Sarnaik, Patel highlighted that thousands of people from across the country, particularly from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, come to Mumbai in search of livelihood, with many operating taxis and autorickshaws.

The appeal comes in the wake of the Transport Department's requirement that commercial drivers in Mumbai and across Maharashtra possess practical knowledge of Marathi to facilitate communication with commuters and ensure the effective implementation of transport rules.

Patel stated that while he agrees drivers should be able to communicate in Marathi, acquiring the required language proficiency within the government-prescribed timeframe remains difficult. He warned that non-Marathi-speaking drivers could face severe punitive measures, including the suspension of permits, if they fail to comply within the deadline, threatening their livelihoods.

"Learning Marathi in such a short period is not easy," Patel said, urging the state government to extend the deadline and grant drivers sufficient time to pick up the language. He also appealed to the transport minister to consider the request sympathetically while keeping the decision within the framework of the law.

Amid the enforcement push, mobility platform Rapido has launched dedicated Marathi language-learning resources tailored for its bike, auto, and cab captains in Maharashtra to help drivers comply with the mandate. The company noted it is the first mobility aggregator to roll out dedicated language channels for driver partners.

As part of the initiative, the platform has created three specific YouTube channels: Rapido Cab Dost Mumbai for cab drivers, Bike Dost Mumbai for bike operators, and Rapido Mumbai for auto drivers. The training content is being distributed via in-app notifications, WhatsApp channels, and Rapido Dost pages to allow drivers to learn at their own pace.

Rohit Rathod, Vice President of Operations at Rapido, said the initiative aims to provide accessible and practical resources to assist drivers in adapting as Maharashtra strengthens its focus on language proficiency requirements.