RTO Issues 30-Day Notices to Public Transport Drivers Over Marathi Rule in Vasai-Virar
Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials have launched inspection drives across autorickshaw stands in Vasai, Virar, and Nalasopara to enforce the mandatory Marathi language rule for public transport drivers. The enforcement actions follow the expiry of the state government's compliance deadline on August 15.
Knowledge of Marathi has been made mandatory for all operators driving autorickshaws, taxis, and other public transport vehicles across Maharashtra. While some drivers anticipated a formal postponement of the cut-off date, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik clarified that no additional extension or permanent exemption would be granted by the state government.
Following the minister's directive, RTO squads initiated ground-level inspections at multiple autorickshaw and transport stands throughout the Vasai-Virar region. During the drive, officials gathered information on drivers who had not yet taken part in the state's language-learning process and served formal notices to those found without the required certification.
The notices instruct non-compliant drivers to learn Marathi and secure the official certificate within the next 30 days. Authorities explicitly warned that failing to complete the certification process within this period could result in strict regulatory penalties, including the cancellation of the driver's licence, badge, or vehicle operating permit.
Prior to the enforcement phase, the state government had introduced a special initiative aimed at helping non-Marathi-speaking drivers, particularly Hindi-speaking autorickshaw operators, learn the regional language. While a large number of transport workers participated and completed the training, those who missed the mid-August cut-off are now being treated under the final 30-day compliance window rather than receiving an open-ended waiver.
The ongoing RTO inspection campaign and the issuance of strict regulatory notices have prompted extensive discussions among autorickshaw and taxi operators across Vasai, Virar, and Nalasopara as drivers move to meet the final deadline.
