Team-BHP - All Roads to Kerala

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sree73 (Post 4915464)

Is there any road closure between Avinashi & Coimbatore?
Google map from Bangalore to Thrissur is showing a longer route through Namakkal as the default one.

Could be due to this:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post4906676

I applied for a “Short Visit” pass on Wednesday last week, giving “Property Management” as the reason wile applying on the Jagratha website. I submitted property ownership documents as proof, though that was probably not needed. The application was immediately approved and I could download a pdf of the pass.

I also took a transit pass through Tamilnadu. The TN transit pass mentioned that you can cross border check posts only between 7 am and 7 pm. Others had mentioned that there is actually no checkin in TN, so I started from Bangalore at 1:30 am yesterday. Nobody stopped me at the Attibele check post, though there were policemen at a temporary barricade and shed set up on the road immediately after crossing the Attibele toll booth. There was no checking anywhere in TN.

At the Walayar check post in Kerala, they diverted me onto a side road. I had to go to a counter and explain my visit and duration. They did not check my temperature, but gave me a sticker for my car mentioning I came through Walayar. No dates or anything else on the sticker. There were no other checks anywhere, and I reached Perumbavoor by 10:30.

Short visits don’t have quarantine requirements, and nobody called or came to check. I will return to Bangalore tomorrow morning.

-ajay

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajija (Post 4915522)

At the Walayar check post in Kerala, they diverted me onto a side road. I had to go to a counter and explain my visit and duration. They did not check my temperature, but gave me a sticker for my car mentioning I came through Walayar. No dates or anything else on the sticker. There were no other checks anywhere, and I reached Perumbavoor by 10:30.

Short visits don’t have quarantine requirements, and nobody called or came to check. I will return to Bangalore tomorrow morning.

-ajay

What reason did you give at Valayar checkpost since you applied in the property management category? Any document you had to show?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajija (Post 4915522)

At the Walayar check post in Kerala, they diverted me onto a side road. I had to go to a counter and explain my visit and duration.

It looks like the counter at walayar operates only in the afternoon or whenever staff is available . I crossed the border at 10am yesterday and it was deserted. Last week my sister and family crossed at 11:30am and there was no counter. I don't know what is the logic of having such a vehicle checking process only for a few hours.

I crossed the border around 9:45 PM yesterday and there was no checking of any sort. They should simply close it down now. Doesn't make sense to randomly pull in vehicles at odd times.

I've literally cursed every god damn person associated with the corrupted L&T bypass toll! The last toll booth (towards Palakkad side) took me close to 20 mins to clear!

Ever since they've started accepting Fastag, all the vehicles pile up till the toll booths and then starts splitting up into 2 lanes based on cash or Fastag. That's when many realise they are on the wrong queue! Because in the last toll booth, the left lane was cash based and the right one was Fastag based. But not so in the next toll booth - left one is fastag based and right one is cash based! And then there are some smart guys who breaks the queue, and decides to cut in near the toll. Either way, this toll sucks really really bad. Curses be on all the corrupt officials associated with this ridiculous toll booth.

I travelled yesterday to Kerala. As everyone said, there were no checking at the borders. But, the heavy vehicle traffic I saw yesterday in TN was the highest I've seen in all my KL-KA trips. Most toll booths took 3-4 mins to clear. Kuthiran roads are in a dilapidated state, but driveable. It took me almost 14 hrs to complete the journey to Alappuzha.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gannu_1 (Post 4915657)

I've literally cursed every god damn person associated with the corrupted L&T bypass toll! The last toll booth (towards Palakkad side) took me close to 20 mins to clear!

Travelling tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up.
May not be able to avoid the difficulties, but can condition myself not to get frustrated. :)

Thank you all the various updates. I travelled to Thrisur today. Started at 4.30 am and was home by 12. No checking anywhere enroute, neither at the TN borders or Walayar. I did see the check post at Walayar but there was nobody there. 6 diversions between Salem and CBT due to flyover work but no major concern. Diversion routes were fairly good and traffic was thin. So didnt really slow me down.

Most eateries were open and seemed to be doing good business looking at the number of vehicles parked outside. We carried packed breakfast from home and kids enjoyed a picnic‐style eating experience. Fast tag worked at all except L&T toll.

Post Walayar my worry was about the Kuthiran stretch but luckily there was no major traffic block. But road conditions are bad. Big chunks of road has chipped off and so you need to navigate them carefully.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gannu_1 (Post 4915657)

Ever since they've started accepting Fastag, all the vehicles pile up till the toll booths and then starts splitting up into 2 lanes based on cash or Fastag. That's when many realise they are on the wrong queue! Because in the last toll booth, the left lane was cash based and the right one was Fastag based. But not so in the next toll booth - left one is fastag based and right one is cash based!

Fastag lane is on the right for all the booths, unless something broke during that time.

It was smooth sail for me at around 10:30 in the morning. I think some of them were just drive through.

Quote:

Originally Posted by madhavgpai (Post 4913565)

Even though we plan to pack as much food as practically possible, we would have to stop somewhere where they could use restrooms.

We stopped at the "NHAI wayside amenity complex", where it hosts the Saravana Bhavan/Travellers Inn. The place has a huge parking lot and many public clean restrooms. After you enter, drive past the hotel/shops and get the empty parking lot towards the exit.

https://goo.gl/maps/5SdKFAwffnBLSiDW9

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy28 (Post 4915622)

What reason did you give at Valayar checkpost since you applied in the property management category? Any document you had to show?

They didn’t ask about why I was visiting or for any documentation. Just gave me the sticker and let me go on.

-ajay

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sree73 (Post 4915750)

Travelling tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up.
May not be able to avoid the difficulties, but can condition myself not to get frustrated. :)

Travelled Bangalore - Thrissur today. Started at 5AM from Whitefield. Reached home @12:45PM. (501KM door to door)
Had taken breakfast packed.

There was absolutely no checking of any sort in Tamil Nadu or at Walayar. Had taken the TN transit pass, but DID NOT stick it to the windscreen.

All the toll plazas, Fastag worked without much of an issue.
As it was Sunday and Dussehra holiday, traffic was very less. L&T toll was also normal with out any delay.

No one from health department contacted me. I called up the local Asha worker and informed. Advised to keep home quarantine for 7 days with test or 14 days without test.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyBoss (Post 4917051)

Can I apply for TN transit return pass or need to apply for onward and return journeys separately?

Can I return via Nadugani checkpost?

The Tamil Nadu transit pass is journey specific. Hence you have to apply separately for each journey.
The pass is clearly check-post specific. But, it seems can pass through any check-posts. That's what many posts here says.

Practically, no one checks any where. I travelled from Bangalore to Thrissur yesterday. No checking was there any where. (Any check-post or during journey)