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6 The learned AGP relied upon Rule 24 of the Maharashtra Rules. Inviting our attention to the affidavit-in-reply of Mr. Purushottam Nikam, he has submitted that Rule 24 lays down the procedure for issuing a badge which is required to be worn by a 1 (2008) 7 SCC 117 Megha/pathak AUTO RIKSHA.sxw person driving a motor cab. He urged that the knowledge of the Marathi language is a condition precedent for holding the badge. He has submitted that there is nothing wrong with the condition imposed by the State Government in as much as a driver of a motor cab should be able to communicate with the citizens in the Marathi language and read and understand the road sign boards in Marathi language. It is pointed out in the affidavit that in the absence of working knowledge of Marathi, a driver may not be able to understand the instructions given by the commuters thereby resulting in more inconvenience to commuters. If a driver lacks basic knowledge of Marathi language, the commuters would be put to inconvenience. He has invited our attention to the prima facie view expressed by the Division Bench of this Court in the order dated 17th November, 2016 in Writ Petition No.12766 of 2016 wherein it is observed that prima facie, the condition is not unreasonable. He has submitted that no interference is called for with the decision of the State Government of imposing the aforesaid condition.

Megha/pathak AUTO RIKSHA.sxw "24. Badges of drivers of public service vehicles- 1(1) A metal badge shall be issued to every person who has been granted an authorisation to drive a public service vehicle except motor cab, subject to the condition that he satisfies the authority about his topographical knowledge of the area of operation and working knowledge of Marathi and any one of the languages commonly spoken there. The badge shall be in the form illustrated in the Second Schedule of these rules. The metal badge shall be circular in shape and shall contain the name of the headquarter of the authority which has granted the authorization, the category of the motor vehicle and an identification number, inscribed thereon.

(2) The driver of a public service vehicle shall display on the left side of the chest the requisite metal badge issued under sub-rule (l). No driver shall hold more than one badge of the same type ;

Provided that, the driver of a luxury cab and a tourist cab shall display badges Megha/pathak AUTO RIKSHA.sxw bearing the letters "LCD" and "TCD".

Respectively."

(22) If at any time the authorization of a driver's driving licence entitling him to drive a motor cab is suspended or revoked by an authority or by any Court or ceased to be valid by the efflux of time, the driver shall within seven days surrender the badge to the authority by which it was issued.
(23) No driver of a motor cab shall cause or allow to enter into or to be placed or carried in the vehicle, any person whom he knows or has reason to believe to be suffering from any infectious or contagious disease, or the corpse of any person whom he knows or has reason to believe to have been suffering from any such Megha/pathak AUTO RIKSHA.sxw disease.