Overview
- Transport officials submitted draft changes to the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules to the Home Department, starting the formal process to require a working knowledge of Marathi for commercial drivers.
- Draft amendments target Rules 4, 78 and 85 of the 1989 code and would let licensing offices assess Marathi skills when granting or renewing permits, badges and licences.
- The proposal covers auto-rickshaw, taxi and app-based drivers such as Ola and Uber, with certification from training programs likely to count in future licence and permit decisions.
- Officials say the focus is practical and non-punitive, with a 100-day plan to build simple phrase-based lessons, assessments and training sites across the Mumbai region.
- Marathi literary groups offered free classes through local branches and online volunteers, while ministers cite commuter complaints about language gaps and some unions warn about possible misuse and hurdles for outstation drivers.