Mumbai: Nearly 25,000 autorickshaw drivers across Maharashtra are yet to receive certification under the state’s Marathi language training programme, with 7,750 drivers failing the test and need to reappear. The rest — around 17,427 drivers — still await completion of training, an official said on Sunday.The official deadline for completion of training was August 15.The programme organised by Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in collaboration with literary groups, received 1,65,600 applications. So far, 1,40,423 drivers have successfully completed the course and passed the Marathi proficiency test. Mumbai accounts for the highest number of pending trainees at 9,196, followed by Thane (4,871), Navi Mumbai (1,400), Palghar (350) and other parts of Maharashtra (1,610).Officials said the 7,750 drivers who failed the assessment will have to undergo further learning before appearing again, while the remaining 17,427 could not complete training by the August 15 deadline. Their sessions are expected to conclude within the next one to two weeks.The Marathi training initiative follows the state government’s decision to make knowledge of basic Marathi mandatory for auto and taxi drivers. Authorities said additional batches will be conducted to ensure all pending drivers complete the course and obtain the required certification.
