Maharashtra: The Maharashtra government’s Marathi language requirement for commercial passenger vehicle drivers will also apply to app-based cab drivers, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Wednesday, ruling out any exemption for drivers operating through cab aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido.
Sarnaik said a practical working knowledge of Marathi was essential for drivers to communicate effectively with passengers. The move follows a series of amendments to the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
Under the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2026, working knowledge of Marathi has been made a prerequisite for obtaining several authorisations related to commercial passenger transport. Rule 4(4), which deals with authorisation to drive public service vehicles, Rule 78 governing permits, and Rule 85 covering permit renewals now list working knowledge of Marathi as an essential requirement, along with other prescribed qualifications.
The requirement has also been extended to app-based motor cab drivers operating vehicles fitted with electronic meters. Under Provision 22(3A), drivers who fail to demonstrate working knowledge of Marathi can face action for non-compliance, including suspension of their licences for up to three months or cancellation, after the competent authority issues a written notice.
Officials said the amendments were introduced following complaints that some non-Marathi-speaking drivers were circumventing language requirements by exploiting ambiguities in the earlier rules.
“These amendments eliminate ambiguities in the rules and underscore the importance of practical Marathi for drivers engaged in passenger transport,” Sarnaik said.
The Transport Department, in association with literary organisations including the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, is conducting a 105-day Marathi training programme through Regional Transport Offices and language training centres. The programme aims to ensure working proficiency in Marathi among auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers by August 15.
According to the department, more than 1.10 lakh non-Marathi-speaking passenger vehicle drivers have completed the four-hour training programme. They are scheduled to receive certificates from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at an event in Thane on August 17.