A strange new problem is happening in Delhi. It is not about traffic jams or fuel prices. Instead it is about smartphones Bluetooth signals and a battery management app. E-rickshaw drivers in Delhi say their vehicles are suddenly switching off while they are driving. This leaves them stuck in traffic and unable to earn money for hours. Their daily earnings used to be around Rs 1,000. Now it has dropped to low as Rs 600. This is a cut for workers who depend on every trip to make ends meet.
What Actually Happens
The problem starts with the batteries that power low-cost e-rickshaws. Many of these vehicles use Bluetooth-enabled lithium-ion battery packs. These packs are often cheap. Do not have basic security protections like passwords. These packs were designed to work with battery management system (BMS) apps. These apps were meant for technicians to check voltage, temperature and battery health.
People realised these apps could also be used to shut off the power supply. Anyone near an e-rickshaw can pair their phone with its battery. Shut it off. This has become a prank trend that has turned into a safety and livelihood crisis. Videos of stranded drivers are going viral on media.
A Drivers Ordeal Caught on Camera
Amaan Siddiqui, a media influencer shared his experience. He helped a driver whose e-rickshaw had shut off. The driver had lost his days earnings, around Rs 400 to Rs 500. Many drivers do not know their vehicles have Bluetooth-connected batteries. When the motor cuts out they think it’s a fault. They pay mechanics or bystanders to fix it.
Government Steps In
The Delhi Transport Department, Delhi Police and the Centre have taken action. They identified the applications used for the disruptions. These include BAT-BMS, Epoch Li-ion and Lossigy. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has ordered Google Play Store and Apple App Store to remove these apps. They will work with app store operators to prevent risky applications.
Delhis Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said officials are examining the vulnerabilities. They are considering restrictions on BMS apps to protect commuters and drivers.
Why It’s Matter
The government said these apps were not built with intent. The real issue is the lack of security safeguards in battery packs. For now thousands of gig workers who rely on e-rickshaws are caught in the middle. They are waiting for investigations to continue and for a solution to this problem.
This incident has started a conversation about safety standards for low-cost electric vehicle components in India. It also highlights how easily a maintenance tool can be turned into a weapon, against the people it was meant to help.
