2 weeks ago
Auto-Taxi Union Seeks Three-Month Extension For Marathi Training Deadline
Many people in Mumbai travel in small three-wheeled vehicles called auto-rickshaws and in taxis.
The people who drive these vehicles are called auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.
Maharashtra, the state where Mumbai is, has a rule that all these drivers must learn Marathi, the local language.
Drivers need to finish the practical Marathi training by August 15.
But a large number of drivers in the Mumbai region do not speak Marathi.
A group called the Mumbai Auto Rickshaw-Taximens Union speaks for the drivers.
The group says drivers need three to four weeks of training, and there are not enough training centres for everyone.
So the union has asked the government for three more months to finish the training.
The union also asked the government not to punish drivers who have not finished yet.
The government has not yet decided whether to agree.
The Mumbai Auto Rickshaw-Taximens Union has sought a three-month extension for the August 15 practical Marathi training deadline for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.
The union wrote to Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, arguing the existing deadline is too short to train such a large number of drivers.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region has around 5.5 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, while Maharashtra has more than 15 lakh; about 60-70 per cent are non-Marathi speakers.
A driver needs at least three to four weeks to complete the practical Marathi course, and the number of training centres currently available is insufficient.
The union has sought no action against drivers during the extension and demanded more training centres kept permanently operational across Maharashtra.
- Who
- The Mumbai Auto Rickshaw-Taximens Union, led by president Shashank Rao, has appealed to Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
- What
- A three-month extension of the August 15 deadline for practical Marathi language training for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.
- Where
- Maharashtra, especially the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
- When
- As the August 15 training deadline approaches.
- Why
- Because the deadline is too short for the large number of drivers, most of whom do not speak Marathi, and existing training centres are insufficient.
Auto-Taxi Union
Maharashtra Government
Training Deadline
Auto-Taxi Union
The August 15 deadline is too short to train all drivers, so the union wants a three-month extension.
Maharashtra Government
The government has fixed August 15 as the deadline for all auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to complete the Marathi training.
Action Against Drivers
Auto-Taxi Union
No action should be taken against drivers who miss the deadline during the extension, as penalties would hurt their livelihoods.
Maharashtra Government
Under the current rule, large-scale action may follow against drivers who have not completed training after the deadline.
Training Centres
Auto-Taxi Union
More training centres should be opened and kept permanently operational across Maharashtra so drivers can train at their convenience.
Maharashtra Government
Drivers are expected to complete training at the centres currently available within the government's timeframe.
Key facts
- Organization
- Mumbai Auto Rickshaw-Taximens Union
- Union President
- Shashank Rao
- Appeal Addressed To
- Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik
- Training Deadline
- August 15
- Extension Requested
- Three months
- Auto/Taxi Drivers in MMR
- About 5.5 lakh
- Non-Marathi Speakers
- About 60-70% of drivers
- Time Needed Per Driver
- 3-4 weeks
Sources
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