Protests Over Marathi Requirement

A group of autorickshaw and taxi drivers in Mumbai have staged protests after the Regional Transport Officer made it mandatory for drivers in Maharashtra to have a working knowledge of Marathi to communicate with commuters. The protesters, who are non-Marathi speakers, said the directive would put an additional financial burden on them. They staged a roadblock on Kandivli Link Road opposing the requirement.

The drivers said they have avoided parking near railway stations, malls, and main roads, and temporarily closed their vehicles due to fear of scrutiny and action. Protesters also said that older drivers lacked formal education and struggled to meet the language requirement. One driver was quoted as saying, "We are 55-60-year-olds. We have never been to a school. How can we speak Marathi? Had we been educated, we would have been sitting in an office. We are trying to speak broken Marathi, but that is not being considered; we are being penalised instead. Can we pay Rs 15,000-20,000 as fine? We will do this 3-day strike until justice is done."

The transport department, meanwhile, has been taking action against drivers who have violated the rules. More than 2,500 drivers have been issued show-cause notices across the state. According to the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Amendment, 2026, practical knowledge of Marathi is mandatory for rickshaw, taxi, and app-based cab drivers. The licence of drivers who do not know Marathi can be suspended for three months, and a repeated violation can cause it to be cancelled permanently. On the first day of the inspection drive, 1,268 drivers were issued notices out of 8,217 taxi drivers. In Mumbai, 604 drivers were issued notices out of 3,995 drivers who were inspected.

Incident During Protest

During the protest, a Marathi-speaking auto-rickshaw driver was allegedly assaulted and his vehicle vandalised after he refused to join the protest. According to the complaint, the driver was passing through the area with a passenger when he was stopped and confronted by a group of auto drivers participating in the protest. He reportedly told them that he was a Marathi speaker and therefore had no reason to participate in an agitation against the language requirement. The confrontation allegedly turned violent, with the driver being beaten up and his auto-rickshaw vandalised.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers intervened after learning about the incident and confronted those involved before taking the matter to the Kandivali Police Station. Initially, police officials reportedly asked both sides to resolve the matter. However, after further developments, an FIR was registered against the Marathi auto driver in connection with the alleged violence.

The protest on Kandivali Link Road on Monday (August 24) blocked the busy stretch for around 20 minutes, slowing traffic and causing inconvenience to commuters and motorists. The agitation was reportedly led by non-Marathi-speaking auto-rickshaw drivers who objected to the alleged language mandate. During the protest, the drivers stopped their auto-rickshaws on the road, disrupting traffic. Traffic police reached the spot after the protest began and worked to clear the road and restore normal traffic movement.

Government's Position

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government does not want Hindi-speaking drivers to become experts in Marathi but expects working knowledge. The statement comes amid the ongoing protests and the incident involving the Marathi-speaking driver.