Maharashtra gives taxi and tuk-tuk drivers one-year extension to learn Marathi

The short version

• Maharashtra authorities began evaluating taxi and tuk-tuk operators on basic Marathi skills in August, initially giving those who failed one month to comply or face license suspension.[BBC News]
• Following union pushback over threats to driver livelihoods, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis granted an additional year to acquire a working knowledge of the language.[BBC News]
• The mandate affects nearly 979,000 permit holders across Maharashtra, nearly half of whom are based in the Mumbai metropolitan area.[BBC News]
• Transport officials report that roughly 166,000 drivers have completed government training classes and passed an oral evaluation.[BBC News]

Key facts

• Testing of taxi and tuk-tuk drivers for basic conversational Marathi began on 20 August in Maharashtra, initially carrying a one-month deadline to avoid license suspension or cancellation.[BBC News]
• Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an extra year for drivers to learn the language following protests from labor unions.[BBC News]
• Maharashtra has nearly 979,000 valid commercial taxi and tuk-tuk permits, almost half of which operate within the Mumbai metropolitan region.[BBC News]
• State transport officials stated that about 166,000 drivers have completed government training modules and passed an oral test.[BBC News]
• The mandate requires only a working knowledge of spoken phrases for everyday transit tasks, not literacy or fluency.[BBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

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