01 March,2017 02:19 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi
Dictating a judgement on a petition challenging the controversial condition imposing Marathi on auto and taxi drivers, the Bombay High Court asked the state government if knowing Marathi was more important than commuters' safety
Dictating a judgement on a petition challenging the controversial condition imposing Marathi on auto and taxi drivers, the Bombay High Court yesterday asked the state government if knowing Marathi was more important than commuters' safety.
A bench of justices Abhay Oka and Anuja Prabhudesai are dictating a judgement after the taxi and auto drivers from Thane, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai challenged a state government notification issued in October 2015, which was republished by RTOs in February 2016 under the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules. The notification says that in order to get a taxi or auto permit, the driver must know Marathi.
Justice Oka questioned the state's counsel Manish Pabale if the rules have provisions for larger commuters' issues like their safety, drivers not plying or a complaint redressal mechanism. If it doesn't then what is the state government doing to address these issues? Pabale said there was no such mechanism.
Oka then said the state should concentrate on that first. His judgement will address these issues as well and the state will have to implement them in a time-bound manner. He said under Rule 24 of Motor Vehicle Rules the state cannot up come with a notification like that one. The state can get it passed in the assembly and then implement it.
The Vidarbha Auto Rickshaw Chalak Federation that managed to stay the circular in Nagpur had claimed that rickshaw drivers who possessed badges under Rule 24 of the Motor Vehicles Rules-1989 did not need to undergo a Marathi test while applying for a contract carriage permit under Section 74 of the Motor Vehicles Act-1988.
