[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by speedkrish

I am planning for a short family trip to Kannur around 20th weekend. I see lot of political violence and unplanned hartals in Kannur. Do they affect tourists ? Are vehicles allowed to drive around ?

What a coincidence of your query. Did you travel today finally?
I guess there was no issues and I know a couple of guys who drove down today.

[Turbopetrol]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

What a coincidence of your query. Did you travel today finally?
I guess there was no issues and I know a couple of guys who drove down today.

No issues were noticed till now; but tourists/visitors who wanted to have lunch / food from hotels might have got affected. Also people who rely on public transportation would be really affected.

[Turbopetrol]

Harthal in Kannur district today. Vehicles are expected to be unaffected; but caution is advised.

[DAART]

Planning to drive to Bavali (near waynad) next weekend. I heard about some white topping work on Mysore road. Is this true? Has anyone faced more than usual traffic on Mysore road due to the work? If yes, any other alternatives to reach gonnikopal?

[RajeshK]

Originally Posted by DAART

Planning to drive to Bavali (near waynad) next weekend. I heard about some white topping work on Mysore road. Is this true? Has anyone faced more than usual traffic on Mysore road due to the work? If yes, any other alternatives to reach gonnikopal?

Take NICE road to exit to Mysore Road beyond Kengeri. If you are going on day time then why to take Gonikoppal route...? Take Mysore ORR - HD Kote (handpost) - Bavali route. Remember this road has forest check post which is closed between 6pm to 6am. The forest area is a tiger reserve, so no stopping in between.

[MSAneesh]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Made a quick dash to Kannur on 29th Morning and returned on 31st afternoon. Took my usual route on the way up - Mysore (KRS road-Yelwal bypass)-Hunsur-Virajpet bypass-Makutta-Koottupuzha-Vallithod-Ulikkal-Irikkur-Mayyil-Kannur.

the best route I can suggest is Kootupuzha-Vallithode-Ulikkal-Iritty-Mattannur. .
Google maps link here (kootupuzha onwards) : https://goo.gl/zgtazg

Anything latest on the Koottupuzha - Iritty - Mattannur - Kuthuparamba stretch? I'm driving down this weekend.
Should I be taking the Ulikkal detour to Iritty?
Is the Iritty - Mattannur - Kpba work completed? or, should I stick to my inside route Iritty - Kakkayangad, Thillankeri - Sivapuram?

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by MSAneesh

Anything latest on the Koottupuzha - Iritty - Mattannur - Kuthuparamba stretch? I'm driving down this weekend.
Should I be taking the Ulikkal detour to Iritty?
Is the Iritty - Mattannur - Kpba work completed? or, should I stick to my inside route Iritty - Kakkayangad, Thillankeri - Sivapuram?

My uncle who traveled last week reported that there are lot of unfinished stretches in the Kootupuzha-Iritty stretch where only one lane is usable which was creating mini jams. But work seems to be progressing quite fast.
The Iritty-Mattannur stretch is almost done and tarred. It is beautiful for most of the part.

[Latheesh]

I just received a whatsapp message that there was some attack on Volvo bus (21/03/2018 Golden Travels - Bangalore-Kannur) yesterday night near Mysore. Looks like robbers attacked few other vehicles as well. Any info on this?

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

I just received a whatsapp message that there was some attack on Volvo bus (21/03/2018 Golden Travels - Bangalore-Kannur) yesterday night near Mysore. Looks like robbers attacked few other vehicles as well. Any info on this?

Did not see/hear about this in any news/websites. Are you sure the info is from a reliable source? even 'star of Mysore' which usually gets such news and info quite early does not seem to have anything related on their website.

[Latheesh]

As per message it happened today (12.30AM) somewhere after Mysore. Message also had a picture of bus with damaged windshield.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

As per message it happened today (12.30AM) somewhere after Mysore. Message also had a picture of bus with damaged windshield.

Yes, I too received the same.

Message mentioned that all vehicles enroute to Virajpet from Hunsur was stopped and Rs 1000 was taken forcibly. This bus got attacked when driver didn't agree on the same.

However, I doubt this story. For one, why would anyone stop vehicles in middle of road and demand just Rs.1000.

Targeting a private bus (which usually has good connections politically and with police) for Rs.1000 is too much risk for too little.

Unless there is any genuine news reporting on this, I would consider this as a hoax.

[balenoed_]

The never ending Dacoity-

When it comes to dacoity, the tales of Chambal are the only ones that ever used to come to my mind. But off late, have been hearing similar incidents right on the route that we frequent. Though the scale of robbery is much lesser, it is alarming and terrifying to realize that this happens even in this hi tech world and just at the neighboring places of the tech city.


Pic Courtesy:- http://www.mathrubhumi.com/mobile/pr...90?pq=1.536818


Picture of the bus that was attacked very recently.

While it is hard to digest that we still live in an era where the police and authorities do not have any control on some parts of the country, it is evident that the administration are not doing anything about it. The repeating incidents are just a proof of it.

I guess these red marked are the stretches prone to such incidents.



Past incidents:

https://english.manoramaonline.com/n...nnapatnam.html

Passengers on KSRTC's Bengaluru bus robbed at Channapatna.

Bengaluru: In a daring attack, four bike-borne robbers looted passengers on-board a KSRTC bus at Channapatna 65 km off Bengaluru, in the early hours of Thursday. The attack happened at around 2.45 am when the passengers were asleep.

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/kerala-pass...highway-740386

Kerala: Passengers of KSRTC bus looted on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway
A Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus plying on the Kozhikode-Bengaluru was robbed on Thursday, August 31.

The incident happened at around 2:45 am when the bus, which started its journey from Kerala at 6 pm on Wednesday, stopped near Channapatna, 63 km from Bengaluru.

The conductor of bus told reporters that four robbers entered the bus through its two doors. They threatened passengers with knives and looted their gold, cash and other valuables. Since the passengers were sleeping when it all began, they couldn't initially fathom what was happening.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/60317942.cms

Highwaymen rob bus passengers near Channapatna
MANDYA/KOZHIKODE: It was a terrifying night for passengers of the Bengaluru-bound Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus from Kozhikode, as armed robbers barged into the vehicle and looted gold ornaments and cash from them at knifepoint.

A news video of the recent incident (21-Mar-18):-

https://www.facebook.com/KannurLifes...0666435294562/

In the video, the driver narrates the experience. The gang of 5-6 people stops the bus, breaks open and asks money to the driver on knife point. They bus folks then approached the nearest, Yelwala police station and the police did not accept the complaint, the driver says.

A member of a BLR-KNR WhatsApp community that I am part of was saying that in one of similar incident, the gang managed to get only about Rs.200/- and was happy about that and let them leave.

If they could do these to a bus carrying a handful of passengers, it is a nightmare to think of how someone can drive through in a car over these stretches safely.

Why does the authorities always keep silent and no investigations done to nab the culprits.

[venkyhere]

I think its easily evident the local police are getting a cut of the loot. Otherwise, these many incidents cannot happen on public road, no matter what time of night. This looks like an organised gang. Best option would be to just run over the person, if he tries to stop the vehicle by jumping to the middle of the road, in these stretches. Increasingly evident that the most important safety tool today for a car, is a dashcam.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

The never ending Dacoity-

When it comes to dacoity, the tales of Chambal are the only ones that ever used to come to my mind. But off late, have been hearing similar incidents right on the route that we frequent. Though the scale of robbery is much lesser, it is alarming and terrifying to realize that this happens even in this hi tech world and just at the neighboring places of the tech city.

Almost every time, it is a KL registered vehicle or bus bound to Kerala which have been targeted. I suspect this is after some insider information about perhaps someone in the bus/car carrying cash/gold.

See this recent incident:
http://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/...itty-1.2672758

Iritty police seized hawala money amounting to Rs 1 crore from a tourist bus coming from Bengaluru. A special team led by Iritty SI P C Sanjaykumar nabbed 2 persons of a hawala gang on a vehicle inspection conducted in Iritty. hawala money was found to be transported in a tourist bus travelling to Thalassery from Bengaluru. The money was kept in a cabin right next to the driver seat

The Bangalore-Kannur route I hear is now a hot route for Hawala operators to transfer money. Also, Bangalore Airport seems to be the preferred 'port of entry' now for Gold smugglers into Kerala after the intensive crackdown in Kerala airports.

[MSAneesh]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

My uncle who traveled last week reported that there are lot of unfinished stretches in the Kootupuzha-Iritty stretch where only one lane is usable which was creating mini jams. But work seems to be progressing quite fast.
The Iritty-Mattannur stretch is almost done and tarred. It is beautiful for most of the part.

Route Update:
Lots of unfinished stretches in Koottupuzha - Iritty section. Single lane being used for both directions in these stretches, traffic was sparse so no hold ups. Surface is levelled and rolled, not asphalted. Deep cuttings where it meets old road and level differences between two lanes. Risky at night.

Iritty - Mattannur - Kuthuparamba stretch is relatively good. Initial few KMs have the new road. Remaining is old road. Work on all bridges still going on and a couple of short diversions. Kpba town is dug up and expect hold ups during busy hours.

Tried a different route on return to avoid the roadwork:
Kakkayangad - Edoor - Anapanthi - Vallithode
This is the new Malabar Hill Highway (SH59) starting at Vallithode(Kiliyanthara) till Kakkayangad(which continues to Peravoor, Nedumpoil, Mananthavady). Pretty good road and easier if you have to go to the eastern side of Kannur district.