No Marathi, no licence: Maharashtra sets deadline for drivers to learn Marathi

Published 8 July 2026 · india

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday said taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers who do not clear a functional Marathi language test by August 16 could

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday said taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers who do not clear a functional Marathi language test by August 16 could face cancellation of their licences. The state government has already set August 15 as the deadline for non-Marathi drivers to learn practical Marathi. He also announced that bike taxi services will officially begin in Maharashtra from August 1, with domicile certificates set to be made mandatory for operators. The government will also collect a welfare cess of Rs 5 per vehicle per day and an additional 2 per cent levy on every fare for the welfare of bike taxi operators.

Read Full Story Speaking to reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan premises, Sarnaik said around 450 teachers have been engaged to train drivers in functional Marathi. He said, "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." The minister said the earlier penalty for violations was a fine of Rs 500, but amended provisions now allow cancellation of licences for those who fail the Marathi language test.

On the proposed domicile requirement for bike taxi operators, Sarnaik said the government had decided on the move because many unauthorised operators had entered the market, creating difficulties for law enforcement agencies. He added, "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 added that people who have been living in Maharashtra for the last 15 years will 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, Sarnaik alleged that companies such as Ola, Uber and Rapido had been told to deploy electric two-wheelers but instead brought in petrol-powered bikes.

He said the state encourages electric vehicles, but action was initiated after some aggregators introduced petrol-powered bikes, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In sum, the minister said the state will enforce its Marathi language requirement for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers after August 16, while rolling out bike taxi services from August 1 with domicile rules, welfare charges and a continued push for electric vehicles. Ends