A strange pattern is emerging on the roads of Noida and Greater Noida, where several e-rickshaw drivers say their vehicles are grinding to a halt without warning, even while moving at a decent speed. Drivers claim this is not a mechanical fault at all, but the handiwork of mischievous individuals who use a mobile phone to tamper with the e-rickshaw's Battery Management System, or BMS, switching the battery off remotely.
What is actually going on
Some modern e-rickshaws come with a BMS or controller that can be monitored and controlled through Bluetooth or a mobile app. This feature was meant to let owners keep track of their battery's condition. The trouble starts when the security around this system is not tight enough. If an outsider manages to gain access to it, they can switch off the battery of a moving vehicle at will. A mobile app called 'BAT-BMS' has become a particular point of concern, with claims that once this app connects to an e-rickshaw's system, it can remotely switch the battery off from a distance.
Drivers left stranded and out of pocket
Drivers say their vehicles stop dead in the middle of the road even when everything is in perfect working order. Checks on the battery, motor and other technical parts turn up no fault at all. This leaves drivers stuck on the roadside for hours at a stretch. In several cases, passengers have had to get off midway, leaving drivers to absorb a direct financial loss. According to drivers, such incidents are being reported from different parts of Gautam Buddh Nagar district. They warn that if this continues unchecked, it could threaten the livelihood of thousands of e-rickshaw drivers in the district. There is also a growing worry about road safety, since a vehicle stalling suddenly in traffic raises the risk of accidents from vehicles coming up behind it.
Drivers demand tighter security
Affected e-rickshaw drivers have appealed to the administration and to manufacturing companies to make the battery management system more secure. Their suggestion is to make a password or a multi-layer security system mandatory in every e-rickshaw, so that no outsider can access the vehicle's control system without permission. Drivers believe such incidents will keep happening until this technical loophole is fixed.
What the police have said
Additional DCP Swatantra Singh said that no official complaint has been filed so far regarding any such incident. He added that if a complaint is received from any driver, a technical investigation will be carried out.
