MUMBAI, April 17 -- With the May 1 deadline for testing the Marathi proficiency of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers drawing near, the state transport department is busy putting together a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to guide the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) for the evaluation process. According to the draft framework, accessed by HT, drivers' conversational skills in Marathi will be tested through reading short passages from a Marathi textbook or booklet; apart from this, they will also be asked to answer several work-related questions, such as fare details and routes. Unions have said they will soon start tutorials to help drivers sharpen their local language skills, even as a sections of unions are threatening legal action against the government over the proposed action from May 1. The SOP will act as a guide on how the rule needs to be implemented across Maharashtra's 59 RTOs, including four in Mumbai. The rule book is expected to standardise the procedure and remove ambiguities if any. According to transport department officials, the language assessment will be simple, practical and job-oriented. "Apart from reading short passages from a book, drivers will also be tested on their conversational ability through routine, work-related questions. The focus will be on functional understanding rather than academic proficiency," said an RTO official. The SOP is also expected to outline a phased enforcement mechanism - which means, if a driver is found struggling to read or respond in Marathi in the first round, RTO inspectors will initially record the observation and prepare a report. Immediate punitive action will not be taken, giving the drivers an opportunity to do better in the second round. Officials could not confirm the number of test rounds that will be allowed. "Drivers will be given the time to improve their language skills. However, repeated failure could trigger proceedings for licence cancellation, subject to approval by the State Transport Authority (STA) - the body empowered to take such action," said an official from the transport department. KK Tiwari, president of the Auto and Taxi Cell from the BJP, said since North Indian drivers go to their hometowns in May, the union will arrange free Marathi learning classes once they return. To test the framework, a pilot inspection drive is currently underway in the Mira-Bhayandar region. Officials have reported that out of around 12,000 auto-rickshaws, 1,817 have been checked so far. Of these, 111 drivers were found unable to speak Marathi. No penalties are being imposed during the trial phase, with authorities focusing only on data collection and refining the process. State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik had recently announced the roll-out, linking it to provisions under the Motor Vehicles Rules that require drivers to have knowledge of the local language, which had sparked strong opposition from driver unions. Shashank Sharad Rao, president of the Auto Rickshaw and Taximen Union, termed the proposed action as vindictive and warned of serious socio-economic consequences. "These permit holders have taken vehicle loans. What will happen if their permits get cancelled? Moreover, as all those residing in Maharashtra for over 15 years are eligible for permits, this decision must be withdrawn immediately," said Rao. Meanwhile on Thursday, advocate Faiyaz Alam Shaikh issued a legal notice against the government over this issue. The notice calls upon the state government to "immediately suspend or withdraw the arbitrary, unreasonable, discriminatory and unconstitutional enforcement of mandatory Marathi language proficiency (reading, writing and speaking) test for all licensed auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers". Legal grounds raised in the notice are violation of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15(1), 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution. "The requirement is discriminatory against migrant drivers from other states and infringes the right to livelihood with dignity and other violations as well under other acts," said Shaikh. The notice underscored that no coercive action be taken against any driver solely on the ground of language non-proficiency. "If requirement of language proficiency is pursued, the state must grant at least a 12-month transition period with free, accessible and inclusive training in consultation with the stakeholders. I have given 15 days to reply and comply, if not I will approach the Bombay High Court," said Shaikh....