Centre Orders Removal Of 7 Apps Used To Stop E-Rickshaws In Delhi

The Centre has ordered the removal of seven mobile applications - including BAT BMS, SMART BMS, LOSSIGY, Epoch Li-ion -  from both the Android Play Store and Apple App Store after reports of their misuse to disable e-rickshaws in Delhi surfaced.

BAT BMS and Epoch Li-ion are battery management apps that connect via Bluetooth and aid in remotely shutting down lithium-ion batteries. The apps are being used to carry out a "prank" and disable moving vehicles.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India (MEITY) has now ordered to take down these apps. Speaking to NDTV Profit, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said the government will take up this issue with the app stores to ensure potentially harmful applications don't come up in the public domain.

BAT BMS and Epoch Li-ion are battery management apps that connect via Bluetooth.

Confirming that action has been taken in the matter, Krishnan said, "That is right...there are a couple of apps, which came to our notice yesterday and both of them have been taken down from the app stores." He was speaking on the sidelines of a CII Cybersecurity Summit.

E-Rickshaw Prank Explained

Chinese smartphone applications are being used to remotely shut down e-rickshaws, locally called tirris. The process is simple: open the mobile application, connect to the nearest batteryvia Bluetooth, and activate the discharge switch. A single tap switches off the vehicle. The driver is left confused and stranded. The driver can restart the e-rickshaw only when it is switched back on through the same application.

Also Read | App On, E-Rickshaw Off: Bizarre Prank Plays Out In Delhi, Minister Responds

E-Rickshaw Drivers Disbaled, Helpless

What is a prank for some is actually a nightmare for e-rickshaw drivers as it stops their vehicle in the middle of the road. A viral video on Instagram shows an inconsolable driver, whose vehicle has been disabled by a stranger. He cannot drive to earn till his vehicle is restarted. Instead, he will lose his day's earnings trying to get the vehicle fixed from a local mechanic. Not all drivers have access to smartphones, or the technological know-how to operate the new app.

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In some cases, the kindness of strangers has helped drivers get out of the situation. Speaking with the news agency ANI, social media influencer Amaan Siddiqui detailed a heartbreaking encounter with an affected driver.

"I saw a man tying up his rickshaw to another in order to move it," Siddiqui shared. "I suspected this app to be behind it. I brought my vehicle behind it and tried connecting my app to the rickshaw. Once it connected, I asked him to stop and told him that his rickshaw would now restart."

The driver reportedly lost Rs 400 to Rs 500 for the day. 

"He broke down and told me that he had lost an entire day of earning. He had taken the rickshaw on rent... His rickshaw had been at the same spot for an entire day."

What Delhi Government Said

According to a senior Delhi government official, the app is primarily designed to monitor battery parameters such as voltage, temperature and current in real time, but its control functions could be misused on systems that lack adequate authentication.

"There is no password or authentication. As a result, cutting the power output and bringing the vehicle to a sudden halt becomes easy," the official said.