‘Shah Rukh Khan did not take a permit from us, auto and taxi drivers did’: Maharashtra Transport Minister Sarnaik defends Marathi mandate

A: This is not a new rule. It goes back to 1989 and I’m implementing it as transport minister. MLAs were writing to me about illegal permits and duplicate documents at RTOs.

The larger issue is communication. Many passengers, especially those from rural Maharashtra, are not comfortable speaking Hindi. This often leads to arguments between passengers and drivers. In a survey of 3,500 drivers in Mira-Bhayandar, 565 did not know Marathi.

We extended the deadline to August 15 after unions said they needed time. We’re not just issuing deadlines and sitting quietly either. With the help of the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, we’ve prepared a practical handbook to help drivers learn conversational Marathi. We’re also paying drivers Rs 100 for every half-hour lesson.

We’re not asking drivers to become scholars. No BA, MA or PhD. Just enough Marathi to communicate with passengers and avoid disputes.

Maharashtra Transport Minister Sarnaik. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Q: If livelihoods won’t be affected, why warn of action after August 15?

A: There are no mixed signals. If you want to work in Maharashtra, you must know basic Marathi.

When you took your licence and permit, you signed an affidavit. Marathi proficiency was in that affidavit, along with Aadhaar, birth certificate, insurance. You agreed to it then. You can’t call it forced now.

After August 15, we won’t seize licences immediately. First offence is a Rs 500 fine. But how long do we wait? Some of these drivers have lived here 20, 25 years. Mumbai has accommodated people from every corner of the country. That openness is Maharashtra’s identity. But respect goes both ways. We’re not asking you to speak Marathi at home. Just to your passenger.

Q: With transport issues mounting — illegal autos, weak last-mile connectivity, declining BEST fleets — why has Marathi proficiency become a priority?

A: Our transport system has real gaps, I won’t deny that. But we’re working on multiple fronts. Metro expansion, higher railway frequency, more ST and BEST buses, pod taxis. These are structural changes. They don’t happen overnight, but the progress over the last five or six years is visible.

On EVs, I recently wrote to the CM proposing that land under MMRDA, MSRDC, PWD and local body bridges be used for charging stations. More charging infrastructure means more EVs on the road. That’s the direction we’re headed.

Q: Critics say the Marathi vs Hindi debate surfaces mainly during elections and targets working-class people, not industrialists or the elite.

A: I don’t agree. I raised this as a transport minister and it’s spread from there. Last week the new BMC body said all shop boards must be in Marathi. That’s a separate department acting on existing rules.

Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan never took a licence from us. Ambani and Adani never took a permit. So there was nothing to enforce. But rickshaw drivers did, and Marathi proficiency was in the conditions. Shop owners did, and a Marathi sign board was in theirs.

You can write your board in English at the top. People from all over the world come to Mumbai. But Marathi goes below it. Same logic applies to drivers. You don’t have to speak Marathi to everyone on the street. Just to the passenger behind you.

Q: There’s a supply problem with EV buses despite orders being placed. How are you dealing with that?

A: We ordered 5,150 buses from Olectra. 785 have arrived. Another 170 are held up for technical reasons but should be on the road within eight days.

The delays are real but the EV industry is still being built. Parts come from China, Japan, different countries, and global supply chains are under pressure. That will ease.

We have a 2035 master plan. The department runs 14,250 buses. Older buses will be retrofitted to electric. We’re buying 8,000 diesel buses now to meet current demand, but a diesel bus bought in 2026 will be converted to electric by 2035. From next year we only procure EVs. By 2035, all 21,000 MSRTC buses will be electric. It’s already planned.

Q: The transport department has cracked down on illegal bike taxis again. Riders depend on this for their livelihood and passengers rely on it for last-mile connectivity. What’s the intent?

A: Passenger safety comes first. A few days ago a rider misbehaved with a woman passenger and she had an accident. That’s just the reported cases. Most don’t go to the police.

We gave these companies a chance. We issued temporary licences and told Ola, Uber and Rapido to submit documents within a month. Not one document came in. They didn’t even apply for a licence extension. Instead they put thousands of petrol bikes on the road illegally.

Rapido went further. They told riders: if the RTO fines you Rs 200 to Rs 500, send us the receipt and we’ll reimburse you. They’re essentially funding illegal operations. So two days ago we filed a complaint with Cybercrime. Shut down the app, you shut down the illegal taxis. When they come to us properly, we’ll give permission. But only for EVs. That’s the cabinet’s decision.

Q: This standoff with Ola, Uber and Rapido has dragged on for nearly a year. Why isn’t there a clear policy by now?

A: There is a clear policy. The cabinet decided only EV bike taxis will be permitted. I actually pushed for petrol bikes initially. A ride from Mulund to Ghatkopar costs Rs 50 on a bike taxi versus Rs 100 in an auto. I took that case to the cabinet. The CM said EV only. That’s the policy. Instead of complying, these companies put 990 petrol bikes on the road for every 10 EVs. That’s why we’re taking action.

Q: Why do you think aren’t companies taking up the EV policy?

A: Because EVs are more expensive and they don’t want to spend. We even proposed a 50-50 split during the transition. The CM said no. These companies have the capacity to supply EV bike taxis. They just won’t.

Q: In your personal view, shouldn’t petrol bike taxis be allowed given the demand?

A: Once the CM and cabinet decide, personal opinions don’t matter. I raised it with the CM as recently as 15 days ago. His answer was the same. EV policy stands.

Q: Doesn’t it make more sense to regulate the thousands of illegal petrol bike taxis already on the road?

A: If we regulate petrol bikes, companies will never shift to EVs. We stopped issuing new auto permits and people started moving to EV rickshaws. You have to hold the line or the transition never happens.

Q: If part-time riders can’t afford an EV bike, won’t this policy simply kill bike taxis as a category?

A: That’s a choice riders have to make. If you want to earn from this, invest in the right vehicle. No one will carve out a special rule for someone running a petrol bike two hours a day.

Q: How much freedom do you actually have in a coalition ministry?

A: The CM himself inaugurated the Marathi training handbook we produced, despite predictions that BJP would block it. That answers your question.

Q: Shiv Sena and BJP seem to be competing rather than governing together. When a BJP minister attacks your party’s top leader, doesn’t that damage the coalition?

A: Every party has a right to grow. Local ministers sometimes take offence in that process. We’ve raised it with the CM. It’s every party’s responsibility to keep Mahayuti intact.

Q: Will state transport fares go up with rising fuel prices?

A: Almost certainly. The ST is losing Rs 120-130 crore a month. We spend Rs 4,300 crore annually on fuel alone. We have concessions for the differently-abled, senior citizens, journalists and 50 per cent of women passengers, and a lakh employees to pay. No final decision yet, but a fare revision is likely.