Mumbai Auto Union Seeks Three-Month Extension for Marathi Training Deadline

The Mumbai Auto Rickshaw-Taximens Union has written to Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik seeking a three-month extension to the August 15 deadline for completing practical Marathi language training for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

In the letter, union president Shashank Rao stated that the existing timeline is too short to train the vast number of drivers operating in the region and across the state. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region alone has approximately 5.5 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, while Maharashtra has more than 15 lakh. According to the union, around 60 to 70 per cent of these drivers are non-Marathi speakers who require training support.

The union explained that an individual driver needs at least three to four weeks to finish the practical Marathi course. However, the current number of available training centres is insufficient to handle the volume of drivers needing certification before the mid-August deadline.

Warning against potential enforcement measures, the union noted that large-scale action against non-compliant drivers once the deadline passes would severely impact their livelihoods and make it difficult for them to continue working. The union requested that the government grant a three-month extension during which no punitive action is taken against drivers who have yet to complete the training.

Additionally, the union demanded an increase in the total number of Marathi training centres. It urged the Maharashtra government to establish these facilities permanently across the state, allowing drivers to finish their language training at their own convenience beyond the proposed extension.