Clear functional Marathi test or lose permits from Aug 16: Minister warns taxi, rickshaw drivers

Published 8 July 2026 · politics

Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) warned that the licences of taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers can be cancelled from August 16 if

Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) warned that the licences of taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers can be cancelled from August 16 if they fail to clear the functional Marathi language test. The Maharashtra Transport Department had set the deadline of August 15 for all non-Marathi auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to learn practical Marathi. Speaking to reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan premises, Transport Minister Sarnaik said around 450 teachers have been engaged to train drivers in functional Marathi, and the government has given them time till August 16 to learn the language. "Under Rules 4, 22 and 85 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, drivers have been given time till August 16 to learn functional Marathi.

Thereafter, strict action will be taken. If a vehicle operator fails the functional Marathi test, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) has been empowered to cancel the licence to operate," he said. The minister said the earlier penalty for violations was a fine of ₹500, but the amended provisions now allow cancellation of licences for those failing the Marathi language test. Replying to a question on making domicile certificates mandatory for bike taxi operators, Mr. Sarnaik said the two-wheeler taxi service will officially commence in Maharashtra from August 1. He said a welfare cess of ₹5 per vehicle per day and an additional levy of 2% on every fare will be collected and utilised exclusively for the welfare of bike taxi operators.

Also Read |Linguistics over licences in Maharashtra Sarnaik said the government has decided to make domicile certificates mandatory as many unauthorised bike taxi operators have entered the market, creating difficulties for law enforcement agencies. "Anyone seeking permission to operate a bike taxi service in Maharashtra will have to produce a domicile certificate establishing that he or she is a resident of the State. We are bringing the necessary legislative provisions for this," he said. The minister said persons residing in Maharashtra for the last 15 years would be eligible to obtain the badge required to operate commercial two-wheelers in the state. On the use of petrol-powered motorcycles by app-based aggregators, Mr. Sarnaik alleged that companies such as Ola, Uber and Rapido had been instructed to deploy electric two-wheelers but instead introduced petrol-powered bikes.

"The State encourages the use of electric vehicles. However, some aggregators brought petrol-powered bikes into service, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, following which we initiated action against them," he said. Sarnaik reiterated that Maharashtra welcomes electric vehicles and will continue to promote their wider adoption across the State.