Mumbai, April 21 -- Auto-rickshaw unions have announced protests starting May 4 across Maharashtra, warning of widespread disruption at key public locations if the state government does not withdraw its directive mandating Marathi proficiency for drivers. The decision was taken on Monday by the Autorickshaw Chalak Malak Sanghatana Sanyukt Kruti Samiti Maharashtra (ACMSSKSM), which has set an April 28 deadline for the transport department to roll back the order. The directive, spearheaded by the state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik, requires all licensed auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to read, write and speak Marathi to retain their permits from May 1. Union leaders said protests will be held daily at railway stations, bus depots, markets, and residential and commercial areas, potentially affecting routine commuter movement. A statewide signature campaign is also planned to mobilise public support against the move. "We believe anyone living in Maharashtra is 'Marathi'. Basic communication is sufficient to transport passengers safely. A language test should not determine a person's livelihood," said Shashank Sharad Rao, president of ACMSSKSM. He added that drivers across the state will submit a mass memorandum to the minister by April 28, failing which protests will intensify. The state transport department is currently working on a standard operating procedure to implement the rule across 59 Regional Transport Offices. However, unions maintain that cancelling or denying permits based on language proficiency would have severe economic consequences and vowed to continue protests until the directive is withdrawn. Rao added that the sudden enforcement of linguistic criteria is a veiled attempt to clear the market for private aggregator giants. "Permit holders already undergo rigorous protocols, including police verification, mandatory 15-year domicile requirement among other things. Nothing of this sort is mandatory for the aggregator cab operators or even the e-bike taxis that are operational despite being illegal", he said. The union contends that stripping licenses based on language prodiciency-despite drivers meeting all existing legal and residency requirements-is both discriminatory and economically devastating. There are 15 lakh auto rickshaws and taxis in the state of which 5 lakh are in the MMR, with 2.8 lakh in Mumbai....