Mumbaikars Pay '3 Times' Usual Fare For Autorickshaws As Marathi Test Kicks In: 'What Are We Achieving...?'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Commuters across Mumbai are bearing the brunt of the Maharashtra government's Marathi language requirement for autorickshaw, taxi and cab drivers, with several drivers staying off the roads amid an ongoing crackdown, while others have reportedly increased fares.

The Maharashtra Transport Department has stepped up checks to ensure that autorickshaw and taxi drivers have basic proficiency in Marathi. Over the past week, Regional Transport Office (RTO) teams have been conducting inspections near railway stations, shopping malls and major taxi stands.

Drivers who failed to communicate in Marathi during the checks were served show-cause notices.

On Friday, the second day of the drive, RTOs issued notices to 1,499 non-Marathi-speaking autorickshaw and taxi drivers across Maharashtra for not having adequate knowledge of the language, news agency ANI reported.

The enforcement drive has drawn criticism from members of the film fraternity as well as autorickshaw drivers, who have staged a three-day strike against the directive. Drivers also blocked Kandivali Link Road.

'We have never been to a school': Drivers protest language rule

Protesting drivers claimed that several elderly drivers had received little or no formal schooling, making it difficult for them to fulfil the Marathi language requirement.

Also Read | Maharashtra minister defends rule mandating Marathi language for cab drivers

One driver said,“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,” highlighting the difficulties faced by older drivers.

Avantika Ganguly says commuters paying 'three times' usual fare

Musician Avantika Ganguly said the move has made it difficult for people to earn a living. Sharing her experience on Instagram, Ganguly said it took her 45 minutes to find an autorickshaw instead of the usual five minutes, and that she had to pay three times the usual fare. She attributed the shortage of autorickshaws to the government's Marathi language requirement for commercial drivers.

She alleged that drivers were either avoiding taking their autorickshaws out during peak hours or were reluctant to travel long distances because of the ongoing checks.

Ganguly also claimed that transport authorities were testing drivers and issuing notices to those who lacked practical Marathi skills, with some facing fines and the possible loss of their badges and licences.

Questioning the need for the rule, she wrote,“Language is supposed to be a way to communicate. In 2026, what are we achieving by imposing a strict language rule and troubling hardworking people who just want to make an honest living???”

Also Read | Marathi to be mandatory for cab drivers in Maharashtra

She further questioned the government's priorities, writing,“What is up with the government making non-issues and treating real issues as a joke?”

Ganguly ended her post with a strongly worded criticism of those responsible for framing the rules, saying,“Pardon my French, but what the actual f*** is up with people responsible for making rules in this country??????!!!!”

Former Malayalam actress and classical dancer Divya Unni has also spoken out against the drive, arguing that harassment and heavy fines are not the way to ensure that people learn a language.

“If there is a rule, then breaking auto meters and fining them ridiculously large amounts and threatening them to make sure the rule is maintained, is not the solution,” Unni wrote in a post shared on Instagram.

She said people should be given adequate time to learn the language if the aim is to ensure that it is spoken.

“If you want the language learnt, give them time,” she wrote, adding,“Children learn languages easily, not adults.”

Unni further highlighted the working conditions of autorickshaw drivers, particularly those who spend long hours on the roads.

“Especially not adults who are working 12 to 15 hours every day on the roads in the heat in Mumbai,” she said.

Drawing attention to migration and multicultural workplaces, Unni said people from different cultures and linguistic backgrounds routinely work in places where the local language is not their first language.

“In this world people from all cultures, all languages go and work in all different parts of the world, where the language spoken isn't their first language,” she wrote.

She added that while some people may take examinations to learn a language and others may not, everyone should be given sufficient time to acquire it.

“But everyone's given the time to acquire the language. Harassment and abuse in the interim isn't a solution,” Unni concluded.

Commuters flag fare hikes, delays

The disruption has also prompted commuters to flag higher fares and longer waiting times on social media.

“Getting an auto today was exceptionally expensive, so much so that the cab option was cheaper. It took a lot of time and I reached office 45 minutes late. I did not understand what was happening," said Samhitha Kandadai, Manager (Entertainment) at Havas Play.

Another commuter wrote: "Coming from Delhi, where one has to beg auto drivers to take you to your destination and where fare meter is never used, Mumbai's autorickshaws are exactly the opposite and pretty efficient. Millions of commuters depend on them. Now, even that is being disrupted."

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