[SoulDrive]

Thank you gents, thats the exact route I had taken last time. Encountered few bad patches around Hunsur (as of last January) till reaching the wildlife area. Roads after crossing the border were pretty decent (towards Taliparamba).

I usually stop at Cafe County, Hunsur.

Thank you for the reference!

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

I usually stop at Cafe County, Hunsur. The last time I went that side just before lockdown, did an almost non-stop drive taking 6.5 hrs as the covid scare was in the air then. Except for a 10 min quick breakfast stop (home-packed breakfast) besides the highway, did not enter into any restaurant en route. Heard many restaurants have now closed down, but no up to date info as of now.

There's Coorg Gate Family Restaurant just after the perumpadi RTO checkpost. It's a very tidy and bit of an upmarket restaurant with good food. Rest rooms are clean too. This is where I stop when I travel to Kannur. Details below

https://goo.gl/maps/YWsp5rqttgwpK4j99
Phone : 82742 98676

[SoulDrive]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

There's Coorg Gate Family Restaurant just after the perumpadi RTO checkpost. It's a very tidy and bit of an upmarket restaurant with good food. Rest rooms are clean too. This is where I stop when I travel to Kannur. Details below

https://goo.gl/maps/YWsp5rqttgwpK4j99
Phone : 82742 98676

Thank you so much. Are you aware if swab tests are being conducted atm at the check post?

[rajblr]

Originally Posted by SoulDrive

Are you aware if swab tests are being conducted atm at the check post?

No swab tests only thermal screening/contact details collection is what i heard.

[Ashwin Morey]

Can anyone also update on whether cash lanes are restricted to just one while all others are FastTag? My brother went from Pune to Mysore today (4th Sept 20) and he said that in Karnataka, on almost all toll plazas there was one lane which was way long with most trucks and buses stuck there. He said it was the cash only lane and he said average time could be 20-25 mins on each toll.

So does that mean in Karnataka and TN toll plazas they won't accept cash in all booths? He also pointed that Maharashtra tolls were accepting cash in all booths.

Can anyone shed some light on this? I am traveling from Pune to Pattambi (KL) and as advised by regulars in the earlier posts, I am going to take Tumkur-Salem-Palakkad route which means i would have to go through toll in both Karnataka and TN as well as KL.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Ashwin Morey

Can anyone shed some light on this? I am traveling from Pune to Pattambi (KL) and as advised by regulars in the earlier posts, I am going to take Tumkur-Salem-Palakkad route which means i would have to go through toll in both Karnataka and TN as well as KL.

Not exactly sure of the latest, but even way back in December, cash accepting lanes had been restricted quite a bit in the tolls in the Bangalore palakkad stretch. Last weekend in a local drive when I crossed couple of tolls around Bangalore on the Hyderabad NH , there was only one two lanes marked cash and no operators in the other lanes.

In general the rule says you cannot enter a fastag only lane with intention of paying cash. So you will have to stick to the cash lanes if you do not have fastag.

Any reason why you have not picked up a tag yet? If no other dependencies , you should be able to pick one at the first toll on your route.

[Sandy28]

Originally Posted by Ashwin Morey

Can anyone shed some light on this? I am traveling from Pune to Pattambi (KL) and as advised by regulars in the earlier posts, I am going to take Tumkur-Salem-Palakkad route which means i would have to go through toll in both Karnataka and TN as well as KL.

If you haven't taken the fast tag, I suggest you get one before your trip. All tolls on Pune-Bangalore-Salem-Pallakad route are fast tag enabled. Most tolls have only 1 cash lane. So without the tag, you will get stuck and lose time. Fast tag lanes are fully operational at all tolls on this entire route and you can smoothly pass thru.

[Ashwin Morey]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Any reason why you have not picked up a tag yet? If no other dependencies , you should be able to pick one at the first toll on your route.

I had ordered a Fast Tag from Paytm which got delayed by a couple of months and then unfortunately it got lost Now I checked with Paytm as well as with HDFC bank and it seems that due to the current pandemic the delivery is taking about 15-20 days and I am traveling next week.

So if I already have a Fast Tag (lost) will I still be able to get one on any of the toll? What would I need for that? Any Idea?

Originally Posted by Sandy28

If you haven't taken the fast tag, I suggest you get one before your trip. All tolls on Pune-Bangalore-Salem-Pallakad route are fast tag enabled. Most tolls have only 1 cash lane. So without the tag, you will get stuck and lose time. Fast tag lanes are fully operational at all tolls on this entire route and you can smoothly pass thru.

Then my worst fears are true! I just hope that I can pick a Fast Tag on the toll booth and I hope Maharashtra toll booths do offer Fast Tag.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Ashwin Morey

So if I already have a Fast Tag (lost) will I still be able to get one on any of the toll? What would I need for that? Any Idea?

Maybe not from the same provider, but you can have multiple tags for the same vehicle as the the accounts between operators are not yet linked. So, you go get a tag from a nearby toll before the actual journey.

[vrprabhu]

Any updates on the e-pass requirements for inter state travel to Kerala?

I have planned to travel from TN to Kerala and applied for e-pass - thrice (twice under short visit category and once under regular visit category). All are pending.

Help desk says that if we give proof, e-pass will be issued. I have uploaded my Aadhar card (with Kerala address) and PAN.

Some of the people travelling to & from from Karnataka to Kerala from Mangalore report that no e-pass verification is being undertaken now.

I have to cross at Walayar. Planning to travel tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for any inputs.

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

Help desk says that if we give proof, e-pass will be issued. I have uploaded my Aadhar card (with Kerala address) and PAN.

A quick question, what if I don't have an address proof for Kerala. My parents live in Kerala. I only have two documents that support my Kerala address- Marriage certificate and a Bank account passbook. Will that be treated as a valid proof?
I currently am in Kerala but might have to travel to Pune for a brief period (1 month) and return back to Kerala. My wife though holds a valid Kerala Address.

[dish]

Drove to Kochi from Bangalore on Sat 5 Sep through Hosur - Coimbatore - Pallakad route. No checking of any kind at TN entry point and also no checking of any kind at Kerala entry point (Walayar). I had applied for the 7 day short stay pass and started the journey without waiting for approval. The plan was to handle any issues at the entry point, but, surprisingly there was no check point, nobody stopped the car. We drove through without any issues. Passed the walayar checkpoint at 10 PM

[sparky@home]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

Any updates on the e-pass requirements for inter state travel to Kerala?

I have planned to travel from TN to Kerala and applied for e-pass - thrice (twice under short visit category and once under regular visit category). All are pending.

Help desk says that if we give proof, e-pass will be issued. I have uploaded my Aadhar card (with Kerala address) and PAN.

Some of the people travelling to & from from Karnataka to Kerala from Mangalore report that no e-pass verification is being undertaken now.

I have to cross at Walayar. Planning to travel tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for any inputs.

My son in law drove down from Coimbatore, and his application was pending for some time, I then called up the help line number and the lady on the other end, told me to send the link received by sms, on the same helpline number, which is also a whatsapp number. I got the sanction within the hour.
The irony is that there is no checking at Walayar for the epass, of course he had stuck the epass on the windscreen, wonder if that made any difference.

[pms]

Originally Posted by dish

Drove to Kochi from Bangalore on Sat 5 Sep through Hosur - Coimbatore - Pallakad route. No checking of any kind at TN entry point and also no checking of any kind at Kerala entry point (Walayar). I had applied for the 7 day short stay pass and started the journey without waiting for approval. The plan was to handle any issues at the entry point, but, surprisingly there was no check point, nobody stopped the car. We drove through without any issues. Passed the walayar checkpoint at 10 PM

Good to know this, are you travelling to Kerala for a short duration (<7 days)? Did some govt authorities call you to check on HQ requirements?

[dish]

Originally Posted by pms

Good to know this, are you travelling to Kerala for a short duration (<7 days)? Did some govt authorities call you to check on HQ requirements?

No checks, No enquiry of any kind so far (Just one day yet and Sunday yesterday). Also, I understand from a couple of people who reached Kochi through internal flights that there was no check / registration of any kind at the airport. Although the official statements require incoming travelers to quarantine, the registration / tracking protocol has been done away with.

Also, looks like the duration of the stay is of no consequence. I received rejection notification for my pass after reaching Kochi