By Mukesh 
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) decided not to strictly enforce its decision to make Marathi mandatory for autorickshaw and taxi drivers. It has instead opted to launch a special verification drive from May 1, Maharashtra Day, to August 15 across all 59 Regional Transport Offices (RTOs).
Following a meeting at the Transport Commissionerate, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik clarified that while the mandate to speak in Marathi remains in effect, driving licences will not be revoked solely on the grounds of inadequate language proficiency during this period.