LUCKNOW, July 11 -- Despite the Union government's move to block battery management apps, e-rickshaw operators in the state capital allege that Bluetooth-enabled batteries are still being remotely switched off, forcing vehicles to come to a sudden halt on busy roads. The unusual technical problem has disrupted the city's e-rickshaw network. Operators say that sudden shutdowns are forcing e-rickshaws to stop abruptly in the middle of roads, affecting drivers, passengers and traffic movement. Several videos purportedly showing such incidents have also circulated online. The Union government on July 3 directed that battery management apps be blocked after users discovered they could remotely switch off e-rickshaw batteries even while the vehicles were carrying passengers. The E-rickshaw Chalak Kalyan Samiti claims it has received nearly 5,000 complaints over the past two weeks, with fresh cases reported as recently as Thursday. The matter has now reached the district administration. The association told HT that it submitted a representation to the district magistrate on July 4, which was officially received on July 7. It now plans to approach Lucknow Police, seeking an investigation into the alleged misuse of the battery technology and action against those responsible. According to the association's president, Mayank Srivastava, the problem has not been fully resolved despite the government's move to block the apps. "Those perpetrators who still have the app installed on their mobile phones, it is still working. A complaint was received yesterday (Thursday) as well and, by three days ago, around 5,000 complaints had been received," he said. The association's district president, Abhishek Singh, said Lucknow has over one lakh e-rickshaws, many of which use Bluetooth-enabled battery management systems. He added that the battery manufacturer had started removing the Bluetooth feature from batteries to prevent further misuse. In its representation to the district magistrate, the Samiti alleged that the apps could be misused by criminals, particularly on isolated stretches, and extort money from drivers to restore battery function. The association also expressed concern over the safety of women, who constitute a large share of daily e-rickshaw commuters. Prabhat Pandey, RTO (enforcement), said no official complaint to his effect has been received. "If we get any complaint, it will be looked into," he added. Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Babloo Kumar said the matter is serious, but no complaints have been received so far....