The Eastern Voice Correspondent

(Kumari Akanksha)

New Delhi. A dangerous social media trend is creating problems in Delhi-NCR. Some people are using a mobile app called “BAT-BMS” to remotely switch off e-rickshaws while they are moving.

This is happening because many low-cost Chinese lithium-ion batteries used in e-rickshaws have weak security settings. These batteries use Bluetooth-based Battery Management Systems (BMS), and many of them do not have passwords by default.

Because of this, anyone standing within about 10–15 meters can connect to the battery through the app and turn off the power using a built-in battery control option. This suddenly stops the e-rickshaw, causing traffic jams, trouble for drivers, and in some cases even small extortion attempts.

After the issue became serious, Apple removed the app from its App Store, and Google Play updated the app to require PIN protection. But older versions of the app can still be used on batteries without passwords.

Delhi authorities and local dealers are advising e-rickshaw drivers to secure their vehicles by manually setting passwords on their battery systems.