The Maharashtra government’s Marathi language requirement for taxi and auto drivers will also apply to those working with Ola, Uber and Rapido, The Indian Express quoted Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik as saying on Wednesday. On April 14, the state government made it mandatory for all licensed taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers to have a basic knowledge of Marathi from May 1. Sarnaik had said in July that licences of taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers who fail to clear a Marathi language test will be cancelled from August 16. “These amendments eliminate ambiguities in the rules and underscore the importance of practical Marathi for drivers engaged in passenger transport,” Sarnaik was quoted as saying by the newspaper. When the Marathi test was announced in April, officials told The Hindu that drivers would be assessed on their ability to read signboards or documents, write a simple sentence and hold a basic conversation in the language.