MUMBAI, May 12 -- In response to the Maharashtra transport department's move to make knowledge of Marathi compulsory for the approximately 500,000 auto rickshaw and taxi drivers in the city, auto unions have begun enrolling them for free Marathi language classes. Union leaders said that a sizeable number of migrant drivers had shown interest in learning the language. The Seva Sarathi Autorickshaw Taxi and Transport Union, which has written a letter to the state transport department about this initiative, said that 150 of its drivers had enrolled. "We will begin the training programme through online classes from June," said union head D Gosavi. The unions collectively aim to train at least 500 drivers by the end of June. If the pilot batches receive a good response, they plan to expand the initiative to more drivers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. These classes were aimed at helping drivers learn basic conversational Marathi so that they could communicate more effectively with passengers and comply with the state government's proposed language requirements. Drivers can register through WhatsApp by sharing their badge number, auto rickshaw registration number and other required details. "The training sessions will be conducted online, and each batch will have around 40 to 50 drivers," said another union leader. The classes will focus on 20-odd Marathi phrases required during daily passenger interactions, including asking for destinations, discussing routes, handling fares and basic greetings. Also included are simple reading and writing lessons along with audio-based conversational training. "Drivers interact with hundreds of commuters every day. Learning basic Marathi can help improve communication..." said an RTO officer. The state government last month had announced a special verification drive and proposed practical Marathi training for drivers across the state. Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik had stated that drivers needed to know basic Marathi if they wished to work in Maharashtra. Auto unions had initially opposed any punitive action linked to language requirements and warned of protests. However, they later decided to cooperate in promoting the learning of basic Marathi....